Uber riders who are Starwood Preferred Guest members have the opportunity to earn Starpoints during any ride on the Uber platform, as per new agreement between the mega-hotel company and the San-Francisco based ride-sharing service.
Starwood, which operates nine brands including the Sheraton, Aloft, Westin, W and St. Regis, announced the new partnership last week, which is the first of its kind for Uber. “The travel category is important for us and we are always looking for ways to reward our partners,” said Jonathan DiOrio, head of Uber’s travel partnership.
The San Francisco-based company that started in 2009 grew exponentially, reaching 291 cities in over 50 countries. To fund its growth, Uber has raised more than $4 billion in equity and debt at valuation of $40 billion, as much as Delta Airlines, which is one of the highest for a private technology startup.
Uber and American Express Co. entered a similar partnership last year, allowing users book its car services using rewards points. Also last year, the company adopted Uber for Business, which lets business travelers make reservations for cars on their corporate accounts and was already adopted by Citigroup Inc. and Morgan Stanley.
To participate in this exclusive offer, Uber users who sign up to become new or are existing SPG members simply need to link their accounts at spg.com/uber. After completing a qualifying stay at a Starwood hotel, SPG members can start earning one Starpoint for every $1 spent on Uber, and additional bonus Starpoints can be accumulated during Starwood hotel stays.
