Uber riders can now earn free stays at some of the world's most luxurious hotels
To participate, Uber users must first sign up to become an "Starwood Preferred Guest" (SPG) member, which is the hotel chain's own loyalty scheme. The membership requires guests to pay for one night at a Starwood hotel. Once that's done, all riders have to do is link up their SPG and Uber accounts.
This is what happens when you link your Uber account to your SPG one:
The company says passengers earn 1 Starpoint for every US dollar they spend with Uber, and even more when they organise a getaway directly through the SPG-Uber account. You need 15,000 Starpoints for one free stay at a Starwood hotel.
Uber tweeted about the scheme on Wednesday to declare the roll-out to the world:
According to Uber, 72% of the 290 cities where Uber operates have a Starwood hotel and will recognise the offer. The hotel's brands range from from average to all-out plushness.
They might look like this:
Or this:
To kick things off, Uber is giving riders the chance to win a free hotel stay. The company is going to give out free "SPG #SuiteRides" to everyone who links their Uber and SPG accounts on Saturday, February 28 (so you might want to wait until then).
The offer is available to people in Dubai, London, Mexico City, New York, and San Francisco. You just have to select the new "SPG vehicle" option in the app between 2. p.m and 7 p.m local time to receive 15,000 Starpoints, which is good for one night free at qualifying hotels.
The partnership is about giving combining convenience with luxury - walk out of the airport, hop in an Uber, roll straight to the hotel bar and order a Martini. This is how James Bond would use the car booking app. That is, if his Aston Martin broke down.