Uber to Add Hotels Via Expedia Deal, With Vrbo Rentals to Come
Photo Caption: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at the Skift Global Forum in New York City, September 2023. Skift
Skift Take
For Uber, this is bait to drive more sign-ups to its paid subscription service. For Expedia, it's an incremental channel. For hoteliers, another distribution tax of sorts.
Uber is adding a travel booking portal to its app, announcing a partnership with Expedia Group on Wednesday that lets U.S. users book hotels alongside their rideshares and food orders.
Why it matters: For Expedia and hoteliers, this move adds a new distribution channel. For Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber and former CEO of Expedia, this is a kind of bait to lure consumers to sign up for Uber One, the company's paid subscription service. Hotel bookings are infrequent but high-priced, exactly the kind of purchase