In Omaha, Neb., the Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites has tapped ride-sharing service Uber to coordinate complimentary rides between its property and the city's commercial airport, Eppley Airfield. Prior to this, the property paid for regularly-scheduled shuttle service for guests going to and from the airport, as does several other business hotels in downtown Omaha.
Through a one-year-old service called Uber Central, "guests will be assigned a personal Uber driver to take them directly to or from the hotel, instead of waiting for a shuttle," said Zio Pekovic, principal and co-founder of the Scarlett Hotel Group, which operates the Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites. And besides airport trips, the hotel will also provide free Uber rides within a three-mile radius of the hotel.
Using Uber Central, hotel guests will not have to download the Uber app or contact Uber via the Internet; the hotel will handle the arrangements. Management says the hotel expects to save 40 to 50 percent in hotel transportation costs because of the on-demand nature of Uber versus scheduled shuttles.
