Uber held its annual Go-Get product event in New York on Wednesday, introducing new features including hotel bookings and AI-powered voice reservations. The company is increasing its investment in the travel sector, continuing its strategy of expanding beyond its core business into areas such as autonomous vehicles, grocery delivery, and ski trips. The launch of a new hotel booking service places Uber in direct competition with established travel platforms like Booking Holdings and Airbnb.
Uber is officially entering the travel industry. The ride-hailing platform unveiled multiple new products at its New York event, aiming to attract more users, reduce reliance on its core service, and build a diversified ecosystem. This year's presentation did not focus heavily on its ambitious autonomous vehicle plans but instead highlighted new business segments like hotel bookings and online shopping, as the company works toward becoming an all-in-one super app. Beyond autonomous driving, Uber has previously expanded into freight, premium ride services, and ski transportation, while also growing its grocery delivery business and partnering with Joby Aviation on an all-electric air taxi service.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated at the event that the new travel-related services are designed to simplify the journey and reduce hassle for busy users. He said, "Uber is already a global platform of choice for mobility. Since users open our app first when they arrive in a city, it makes sense for us to make the entire trip and all travel experiences easier."
Key new features announced include:
Hotel Bookings Through a partnership with Expedia, Uber has integrated hotel booking services directly into its app. Users planning vacations or business trips can now book accommodations within the Uber app. The service offers access to over 700,000 hotel properties and is initially available to users in the United States. Later this year, Vrbo vacation rental listings will also be added. Khosrowshahi previously served as CEO of Expedia. A dedicated hotel section within the app allows users to filter options by price, rating, and amenities. Uber One members receive a 20% discount at select hotels and earn 10% of their booking value back in membership credits. This move officially positions Uber to compete with major travel booking platforms like Booking Holdings and Airbnb.
AI Voice Booking Leveraging OpenAI's large language model, Uber introduced a new AI voice reservation chatbot. Users can book a ride via voice commands through a conversational interface. The company stated, "We utilize AI tools from several leading providers, as well as our own proprietary AI technology stack, covering everything from foundational engineering to AI-powered products." Like other industry leaders, Uber continues to enhance its AI capabilities to improve the experience for both users and merchants. Earlier this year, Uber Eats introduced an AI shopping assistant and AI-generated menu descriptions.
Platform Shopping Services Beyond ride-hailing, Uber is further expanding with a new shopping feature that enables orders from physical stores not currently on its platform. Users can send a photo of a desired item and specific requirements to a dedicated personal shopper, who will purchase and deliver the item at the store's original price.
Travel Mode and Hotel Room Services Uber's travel initiatives extend beyond hotel bookings with two new upgraded features designed to enhance the overall travel experience. Uber One members can now accumulate ride credits and enjoy no delivery fees while traveling abroad, which can be redeemed upon returning home. The app will also provide tourists with intelligent recommendations for local attractions and popular destinations. Additionally, Uber launched its own hotel room delivery service, supplying guests with commonly forgotten travel essentials like toothbrushes, delivered directly to their room.
Route-Based Supplies and Meals A new companion feature tailored for morning commutes and travel scenarios has been introduced. Users booking Uber Premier or Uber Premier SUV rides can add orders for Uber Eats meals or coffee, which the driver will pick up en route for delivery. This feature will roll out in the coming weeks in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, and San Francisco.