Uber just made a significant expansion move—and the entire tech world is watching.
According to TechCrunch, the ride-sharing company announced at its annual GO-GET product event in New York that users can now book hotels directly inside the Uber app through a partnership with Expedia Group. The partnership covers 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members (the $9.99/month subscription tier) receive 20% off a rotating list of 10,000 hotels plus 10% credits back. Vrbo vacation rentals and OpenTable restaurant reservations are coming soon.
Uber is no longer just a ride service—it is building what it calls an everything app.
Executives at Uber have pursued this super-app strategy since 2019, but recent circumstances have changed: Waymo has begun picking up passengers in San Francisco. That development has increased the company's sense of urgency. Their consumer-facing investments now feel time-sensitive.
Uber's CTO Praveen Neppalli Naga discussed the strategy at TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event last month, emphasizing membership as the core model. Every new category gives users another reason to maintain their Uber One subscription. "I take Uber, go to the airport, take a flight, take another Uber, go to a hotel, go to a restaurant," he said. "There is a flow you can actually build into it."
Flights are not yet available—Uber attempted this in Europe years ago without success—but Naga suggested the door remains open. He also declined to rule out financial services. "Never say never," he said. The company already offers a debit card to drivers in Mexico.
Uber faces competition in this space. Airbnb, threatened by Uber's hotel expansion, launched transportation offerings in late March through a partnership with Welcome Pickups. Elon Musk is also attempting to build X into a WeChat-style everything app, with X Money banking reportedly nearing launch.
The competition is now underway. With 199 million monthly active users, Uber has a significant base from which to build.
