READ THE ARTICLE AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

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ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. What do you think of the relationship that Uber and Starwood have formed?

2. How is this mutually beneficial for both companies?

3. Many luxury hotels have established relationships with transportation companies and limo services, but what if they moved towards using Uber for these services instead?

4. What are the advantages and potential disadvantages of such a collaboration?

ARTICLE:

Hotel and travel seekers now have another reason to ride with Uber. That is, valuable loyalty program rewards points. In a move that hopes to increase customer engagement among those that might otherwise hail a taxi, Uber has partnered with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which operates nearly 1,200 hotels in cities across the United States, China, Brazil, and Europe. Through the new partnership, members of Starwood Preference Guest (SPG), the hotels popular loyalty program, will now be able to earn extra points by booking an Uber ride to any destination in the world. To start earning points, members must simply link their existing Starwood and Uber accounts, and then stay at any Starwood hotel for at least one night during the calendar year. This new partnership with Uber accelerates our SPG members drive to rewards and is just one more way that Starwood is combining high tech and high touch to transform their travel experiences, said Adam Aron, CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. It is especially satisfying for us at Starwood to be partnering with a cutting edge and innovative pioneer like Uber. It is truly impressive to see how Uber has revolutionized transportation for the better. SPG members will earn one Starwood rewards point for every dollar spent on a ride anywhere through Ubers mobile app. Members currently staying at a Starwood Hotel will also earn an addition two to four points based on their Preferred, Gold, or Platinum 75+ SPG membership status level. Incorporating Uber into Starwoods loyalty program will allow members to quickly collect points that can be redeemed for free hotel stays, luxury accommodation upgrades, exclusive VIP access to various entertainment and sporting events, and more. Uber deals with Spotify and American Express already exist, however, the deal with Starwood marks the first global hotel partnership for the San Francisco-based crowd-sourced car company. "When we looked at how to make the Uber experience even better for our millions of riders worldwide, a partnership with Starwood was a natural fit, said Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber. Theres a Starwood property in the majority of the 291 cities where Uber operates. With this first-of-its-kind partnership, SPG members can now get an extra reward for taking an Uber any time anywhere."