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Uber Now Books Hotels: Travel Beyond Rides
29 Apr
Summary
- Uber now allows hotel bookings directly within its app.
- AI tools drastically reduced development time for new features.
- Uber aims to be an 'app for everything,' including travel.
Uber customers in the United States can now book hotels directly through the app, a significant expansion beyond its core ride-hailing services. This new feature, launched on Wednesday during the annual Go-Get event in New York City, provides access to over 700,000 hotels globally through a partnership with Expedia Group. Vacation rental inventory from Vrbo is slated for addition later this year.
This expansion signifies Uber's strategic pivot to become an 'app for everything,' as stated by CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. The company also introduced an AI-powered voice booking feature and a widespread search tool, developed in months thanks to agentic AI tools. These advancements have dramatically reduced development timelines, with features that once took a year now being built in half the time.
Further enhancements include a travel mode offering guides to tourist spots and local favorites, an extension of travel mode to Uber Eats with a 'room service' hub, and 'Eats for the Way' allowing pre-ordered snacks for Uber Black rides. These updates reflect Uber's commitment to integrating diverse services and leveraging technology to enhance user convenience.
