Uber just expanded into hotels, AI, and ‘room service’ and it’s moving fast

Uber Technologies is doing everything it can to save its customers’ time, but for CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, the company’s sixth annual GO-GET event in New York City was something of a trip through time. On Wednesday, Khosrowshahi and other members of Uber’s leadership unveiled a slew of new features, and also announced Hotels on Uber, a new hotel-booking feature, working in concert with Expedia, a company for which Khosrowshahi previously served as CEO. The feature allows users to book hotel rooms directly in the Uber app, similar to how they’d hail a ride or order food through Uber Eats. Khosrowshahi said that travel was Uber’s “next frontier,” and that “taking all of the complexity” related to booking travel “and making it as easy to get an Uber” was “only natural” for the company. “You can go, you can get, and now, you can travel,” he said during the event. Adding that the partnership with Expedia—which will list some 700,000 hotel properties through Uber’s platform—is “the perfect marriage.” Additionally, Ariane Gorin, the CEO of Expedia, made an appearance, reiterating how natural of a fit it is for the two companies to work together. “Where Uber can take you, we can help you stay,” she said, adding that the combined powers of the two companies can, ultimately, “save people time and money.” Separately, Uber also announced that every single property on VRBO, a vacation rentals site, will be on the Uber platform as well later this year. Booking hotels through Uber could also net discounts and Uber One credits for members. Overall, saving time was the overarching theme of the event. The company also rolled out more new features: Eats for the Way: The ability for users to pre-order coffee, tea, or a snack with Uber Black in some markets. Travel Mode: A new “experience” within the Uber and Uber Eats apps that offers up recommendations, depending on where, specifically, the user is. For instance, travelers in a new city will get restaurant recommendations, points of int