Uber Dives into Travel Industry with New Hotel Booking Feature
Uber has made a significant leap into the travel industry, announcing a new hotel booking feature that enables U.S. users to reserve accommodations directly through its app. The ride-hailing behemoth has collaborated with Expedia Group to provide access to over 700,000 hotels worldwide, with vacation rentals from Vrbo expected to be included later this year.
The announcement was made during Uber’s annual Go-Get event in New York City. Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi—who previously headed Expedia for 12 years—proclaimed, “Uber is now an app for everything, where you can go, you can get, and now you can travel.”
Uber also introduced several AI-powered features developed using tools such as Cursor and OpenAI’s models. These include:
- A voice booking assistant that enables users to request rides through natural conversation
- AI shopping tools for creating grocery lists from photos or text prompts
Furthermore, Uber One members will receive up to 20% discounts on select hotels and earn credits that can be used for rides or food delivery.
Uber’s Chief Product Officer, Sachin Kansal, stressed that the new features were launched in months rather than the typical year-long development cycle, thanks to advancements in agentic AI. This move positions Uber in direct competition with established travel booking platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb.