April 29 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies unveiled an in-app hotel booking feature in partnership with Expedia Group on Wednesday, marking its latest push to become a one-stop platform for travel, rides and food.
The company is seeking to boost user engagement and unlock new revenue streams by integrating travel services into its app, as it competes for a bigger share of consumers' end-to-end mobility and lifestyle spending.
The feature, announced at Uber's annual GO-GET event, will allow U.S. users to search and book from more than 700,000 hotels worldwide directly within the Uber app, powered by travel booking platform Expedia's inventory. Vacation rental listings from Expedia-owned Vrbo are expected to be added later this year.
The partnership also carries executive ties — Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi previously led Expedia before joining Uber in 2017.
Uber said members of its Uber One subscription program will receive at least 20% discounts on a selection of 10,000 hotels and earn 10% back in Uber Credits on bookings.
Users can access the new "hotels" tab on the app's home screen, filter by price, ratings and amenities, and complete bookings using their existing Uber wallet.
The company is also expanding its travel-focused offerings. Starting June, Uber One benefits will apply internationally, while a new "travel mode" will provide location-specific ride guidance and curated recommendations for dining and attractions.
Other features include "eats for the way," allowing riders in select U.S. cities to pre-order snacks or drinks with premium rides, and "shop for me," enabling users to request items from stores not listed on Uber Eats.
Uber is also rolling out AI-powered voice booking and a unified search function that spans rides, food and retail, as it aims to position itself as a "super app" — a single platform that integrates multiple services.
Uber One membership has grown to 46 million users as of the fourth quarter of 2025, up 55% over the year earlier, the company said.
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
