It’s really discouraging to see how some hotels try to prey on their guests, especially when we’re talking about properties belonging to international hotel groups, where you’d hope there would at least be some brand standards…
In this post:
How the Aloft Playa Del Carmen scams guests
A Reddit user named Curtis shares how the Aloft Playa Del Carmen seems to be running what can only be described as a scam with currency conversion to increase revenue. Even worse, we’re not just talking about a spread of a couple of percent here. What’s going on?
- When you book the hotel through Marriott channels, it’s always priced in USD; and that’s not just if you’re based in the United States, but that’s how the pricing is displayed globally
- In addition to showing the price in USD, the website will also quote an MXN total “as reference,” with the fair exchange rate listed
- On property, hotel associates claim that they can’t process payments in USD, and that the rate must be paid in MXN
- When charging you in MXN, the hotel currently uses an absurd rate that represents a 15% markup over the official exchange rate
- Curtis booked two reservations, showing prices of $132.37 and $406.78, and he ended up being charged $153.38 and $470.72, a difference of $84.95
Curtis claims that the hotel has been unresponsive to this complaint, so this hasn’t been addressed in any way. He forwarded me the correspondence, his folio, etc., and everything checks out. I’m reaching out to a Marriott contact to seek clarification on whether this is within Marriott’s policies (hopefully it’s not), and what can be done to avoid this in the future.
This is false advertising, plain and simple
The hotel industry is often referred to as the hospitality industry. Marriott markets itself as offering “wonderful hospitality, always.” I don’t know about you, but for me, literally getting scammed doesn’t really contribute to feeling welcome.
Now, to give this property some leeway, hotels trying to make an extra few bucks on currency conversion is nothing new. Sometimes we see hotels just automatically charge guests in their card currency rather than the local currency, and that’s bad enough. However, in those situations we’re typically talking about a spread of 2-3%.
A 15% spread on currency conversion has to be one of the most egregious currency scams I’ve ever seen.
In addition to this being unethical, I can’t help but feel like this must violate some laws regarding false advertising? You’re forced to book the hotel in USD with an example exchange rate for reference. Then you’re forced to pay in a different currency on property, with an exploitative exchange rate applied.
I wonder for how long this hotel has been getting away with this. A 15% spread on currency is no pocket change, and this might just be greater than the hotel’s profit margin otherwise.
While we’re on the topic of currency conversion, remember to always pay in local currency when possible, using a card with no foreign transaction fees. Furthermore, always exchange cash at ATMs (ideally with a card that has no fees), rather than going to a currency exchange business (with high markups).
Bottom line
We see hotels try to profit off currency conversion way more often than we should. Sometimes you’ll see hotels try to encourage you to pay in your card’s currency so that there’s a spread of a couple of percent.
However, the Aloft Playa Del Carmen really crosses the line. The hotel lets you reserve in USD, but then forces you to pay in MXN on property. That’s fair enough, except the hotel uses a highway robbery exchange rate, so you end up paying about 15% more than the official exchange rate. That’s ridiculous.
Have you ever dealt a hotel currency conversion scam?
Es increíble como distorsionan la información por ganar atención de algún tipo, claramente como huésped me he topado con variación de tipo de cambio en algún momento y lo entiendo, no tiene nada que ver con el hotel, es el tipo de cambio que te toca pagar y punto, o paga en la moneda local y evítate este tipo de situaciones, alguna ves pregunte en un hotel en Dallas que si podía pagar en pesos...
Es increíble como distorsionan la información por ganar atención de algún tipo, claramente como huésped me he topado con variación de tipo de cambio en algún momento y lo entiendo, no tiene nada que ver con el hotel, es el tipo de cambio que te toca pagar y punto, o paga en la moneda local y evítate este tipo de situaciones, alguna ves pregunte en un hotel en Dallas que si podía pagar en pesos y se rieron de mi, pero se que estoy en USA llevo Dólares, lo que veo es que algunas personas y cada ves son mas, quieren sacar ventaja por cualquier cosa y luego piden algún tipo de gratificación y así se la viven viajando sin querer pagar nada. es un abuso, sean consientes y no difamen con este tipo de publicidad engañosa y malintencionada
This happened to me at Secrets St Martin. After requiring that I meet several times with their staff to escalate, they were still unwilling to honour the USD cost that was advertised.
No a hotel issue, but with Budget. They quoted the price in dollars (ex. $400) but billed me in GBP (£400). The first agent I spoke to agreed it was an issue, but there still is no resolve through several emails. Their latest solution? Call the branch at Edinburgh airport and ask them why it happened.
I stayed at the property a few times in January. The front desk staff could not be more friendly and professionals. All my bookings were charged in USD to my credit card with the same amounts as the USD booking details.
So how do Mexicans book hotels in Mexico?
It's widespread in all Mexico hotels. This scam is mild compared to car rentals in Mexico.
I had this at a Marriott/Bonvoy group property last week in Bangladesh. It was over a 30% markup after they converted from local currency to USD and then again back to local currency. Absurd.
A few years ago, I booked a property at The Four Seasons in Costa Rica and when they took payment, they took it in Costa Rica dollars when I had a change of plans and canceled it because the exchange rate had changed so drastically I got short changed the refund by 100 bucks!
If both transactions were in the same currency, then it's not a scam, nor hotel's fault. Exchange rates change over the time. You could've just as well earn money on it in other circumstances (happened to me a few times).
Marriott official coversion
https://www.marriott.com/en-gb/reservation/ersCurrencyCalculator.mi
Even Ritz Carlton Bangalore does this, when they apply my FHR credit of USD 100 they use the conversion rate of 1 USD = INR 72 while Marriott site and official conversion is 1 USD = INR 82.20 so more than 10%
Bonvoy member here. One can select a display currency in the app but I'm always billed in local currency. Not US based, no US CC.
Which is logical as several countries do not allow their businesses to charge anything other than local currency.
Never had an issue. I'm billed the local currency amount that is shown in the booking.
Yes, that is how reputable businesses operate. Glad you haven’t been scammed but I’m not sure how it’s relevant? If someone tells you they got mugged would you say “hmm, I haven’t had anyone take my wallet from me”
Some hotel quote rates in other currency than the local one. This has nothing to do with Marriott's option to calculate price in a different currency and normally happens in places with weak currency. In US sphere of influence (Carribbean, South America) they normally use dollars, while in European sphere of influence (Balkans, Turkey, North Africa) they use euros. However the actual transaction is done in local currency according to the exchange rate on the day.
Bought sumo tickets from a Tokyo broker. PayPal was the only payment option. Tickets were in yen, card charged no fx. PayPal did their own conversion without asking and it came to 6%. Asked for details on the fees and subsequently appealed. Only answer was the charges are correct and to write a letter if I want documentation. Wrote the letter, but expecting nothing that sheds any light. Also emailed the CEO letting him know...
Bought sumo tickets from a Tokyo broker. PayPal was the only payment option. Tickets were in yen, card charged no fx. PayPal did their own conversion without asking and it came to 6%. Asked for details on the fees and subsequently appealed. Only answer was the charges are correct and to write a letter if I want documentation. Wrote the letter, but expecting nothing that sheds any light. Also emailed the CEO letting him know that was a bad way to do business and promising to share my story.
Fulfilling that promise.
Don't make foreign currency transactions on PayPal unless you like being gouged.
PayPal used to have an option to be billed in the local currency. That has been removed and you must use their inflated currency conversion.
I tried to avoid it but some European stores don’t process the US credit cards which have a different layer of online security compared to cards offered by European banks.
The exception is if you use an Amex card on the transaction. Something about their agreement with PayPal enables you to keep the transaction in the local currency. I use it fairly often to avoid PayPal's crazy rate.
Yes, as both buyer and seller I avoid Paypal - not only are their FX charges very high, but they are also absurdly difficult to work out in advance.
JW MARRIOTT in bogota does the same thing… outrageous…
The Aloft Tulum does the same thing, but they can run VISA/MA in USD, but Amex only in Pesos. So I had this same issue when I tried to use my Bonvoy Brilliant Amex at the hotel.
Once I realized it, I had them refund the charge to the Amex and re-run it on a non-Marriott Mastercard (which happened to have a Chase offer for Aloft hotels!)
One can manually select currency, just did a search at same hotel for April and Peso rate was 1830 all fees and taxes included, then choose to show rate in USD and it was 109 USD, also all taxes and fees included. That represents interbank conversion and credit card conversion would bring rate down to 106 USD , just book in Pesos.
That changes how the currency is displayed when you book, but doesn't book the rate in MXP. The rate would still be in USD.
I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood/not fully read the post . When you try and book in pesos it will still book in USD and provide the MXN rate as a reference. Then when you check in, they charge you MXN at their made up rate. So in the example you just pulled, it will show 1830 pesos, and then when you check in they will charge you 2105 pesos. You cannot avoid the scam.
I've long had this issue when booking hotels in Mexico. No idea how they can get away with it and I gave up (and these days I try to avoid Mexico in general). The other scam is when hotels ask you if you want to settle your bill in local currency or home currency (in our case US dollars). Always, always, ALWAYS choose local currency. The conversion they use is ridiculous.
I think it is a class action lawsuit material?
When you are on the Marriott app it asks if you want it to be displayed in USD or not. I always opt for hotel currency. This reader is mistaken of how the currency conversion works. They will bill your hotel room in local currency to your card and the bank will do the exchange for you, unless you pre-paid which is sometimes in USD and sometimes in local currency. It is not the other...
When you are on the Marriott app it asks if you want it to be displayed in USD or not. I always opt for hotel currency. This reader is mistaken of how the currency conversion works. They will bill your hotel room in local currency to your card and the bank will do the exchange for you, unless you pre-paid which is sometimes in USD and sometimes in local currency. It is not the other way around USD to local currency. If the amount matches in local currency the amount it was supposed to be then he has no claim.
Hi, I’m the reader. I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood the situation. That is how it is supposed to work at scrupulous hotels. That’s why it’s an issue, this hotel is not doing this. They will NOT book your hotel in local currency - go ahead and pull it up and try. It will (as the post describes) show the rate booked in USD, then “the approximate amount in your preferred currency”. Then when you arrive, they...
Hi, I’m the reader. I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood the situation. That is how it is supposed to work at scrupulous hotels. That’s why it’s an issue, this hotel is not doing this. They will NOT book your hotel in local currency - go ahead and pull it up and try. It will (as the post describes) show the rate booked in USD, then “the approximate amount in your preferred currency”. Then when you arrive, they charge you 15% more than that “approximate amount”.
>>> If the amount matches in local currency the amount it was supposed to be then he has no claim.
I mean, of course. The problem is precisely because it does not match the local currency amount quoted, or even close.
Yes, but some hotels use USD or EUR as the hotel currency even if this is different from the local currency. That was the case in the article too. The charge itself is made in local currency even if the rate is not. And this is where the scam happens, by converting USD/EUR into local currency at an inflated rate.
I had a similar situation, with a restaurant that told me they couldn’t process the charge in Morroccan currency. I saved the receipt, and when I got home, contacted my bank and disputed the charge. They immediately credited me for the conversion “error” and that was the end of it.
Last Dec in Mex we got charges on top of surtaxes,gratuity and tourist tax..(34%)etc…We ordered 2 margaritas and 2 French fries( they were horrible). Bill was with all of the taxes,surcharges gratuity and a charge to put it on the bill($9.00) totally nuts!,
Does Ben plan to report back?
I'd think with a popular blog, Ben would have received a response from Marriott by now and publish it! ???
What is bloody annoying at hotels, especially in the US, is they swipe your card at check-in "it's just for security" and then add on a large portion of your bill. On check-out you need to use a different card so the first is reversed and you get hit with exchange rate differences and you have spent nothing. You immediately in the red. I say don't charge anything. Oh no we're not going to charge...
What is bloody annoying at hotels, especially in the US, is they swipe your card at check-in "it's just for security" and then add on a large portion of your bill. On check-out you need to use a different card so the first is reversed and you get hit with exchange rate differences and you have spent nothing. You immediately in the red. I say don't charge anything. Oh no we're not going to charge anything till you check-out. Then why are you placing a hold for X dollars on the card? You are tying up funds you silly people. Take an imprint if you must of the card but why is anything put on the card? The front desks in the US in particular look at you as if you're from out of space when you explain that to them. They have no clue.
They only take a hold, it doesn't actually create a charge. Also why do you say you must use a different card at checkout?
What you describe jas never happened to me.
What frequently happens in Mexico that they want to convert the charges into USD at checkout, with a cut of the exchange rate fee going to them. Typically though, when they present you a choice of USD vs local.currency on the...
They only take a hold, it doesn't actually create a charge. Also why do you say you must use a different card at checkout?
What you describe jas never happened to me.
What frequently happens in Mexico that they want to convert the charges into USD at checkout, with a cut of the exchange rate fee going to them. Typically though, when they present you a choice of USD vs local.currency on the machine, I don't think the hotel gets any of it - this is a pure scam from the bank.
A hold on credit card is done in lieu of security deposit to ensure that you have the financial means to settle the bill at the end of your stay. I think it is better than actually paying a cash security deposit as you check in, don't you think?
Are you using debit cards for the hold? If so, don't.
I had exactly the same thing happen on my car rental with Mex Rent a Car in Baja. The booking was priced in USD and when picking up the car I was told they can't charge in USD (seems a lie) and converted the dollars to Mexican pesos at a rate that was posted in the office but was horribly high and not even near the current exchange rate. When this inflated amount was converted...
I had exactly the same thing happen on my car rental with Mex Rent a Car in Baja. The booking was priced in USD and when picking up the car I was told they can't charge in USD (seems a lie) and converted the dollars to Mexican pesos at a rate that was posted in the office but was horribly high and not even near the current exchange rate. When this inflated amount was converted back to USD by my credit card company using the actual exchange rate, I lost twice. One for the absurd conversation and another when the amount was converted back to USD. The day I pickup up my car, the office was full of people complaining that their fee didn't match their booking amount. I think this may well be a Mexican mechanism. Decidedly unfair.
On my second stay at Aloft Playa del Carmen, they imposed new requirements for any guest who wanted a pool towel. I promise I'm not making this up (one couldn't). Go to front desk and wait in queue, hand over government-issued photo ID and leave it with them to keep, return after swim, wait in queue, exchange towel for ID. I escalated, pointed out the flaws, asked if they were serious, argued... they were adamant....
On my second stay at Aloft Playa del Carmen, they imposed new requirements for any guest who wanted a pool towel. I promise I'm not making this up (one couldn't). Go to front desk and wait in queue, hand over government-issued photo ID and leave it with them to keep, return after swim, wait in queue, exchange towel for ID. I escalated, pointed out the flaws, asked if they were serious, argued... they were adamant. Breakfast staff was great, Platinum breakfast benefit was great, rooftop pools are super. But with the towel thing? Pride forbids. Or, as they say now: "I just can't."
You "escalated" over this? You sound like a Karen. While I agree that it's a minor annoyance, it's better than a hotel raising rates because all their pool towels keep getting stolen.
Why vacation and spend my money in a country that continues to allow illegal immigrants into this country?
You cannot pay me enough to spend my money in Mexico.
I think this is an issue that Marriott is at least partially responsible for. If the rate isn't prepaid or non-refundable, Marriott should display what the guest needs to pay at the hotel in local currency (the amount in USD displayed was just an estimate, as the exchange rate can fluctuate a great deal). When I make a cancellable non-prepaid hotel reservation, I always write down the rate in local currency and assume the currency...
I think this is an issue that Marriott is at least partially responsible for. If the rate isn't prepaid or non-refundable, Marriott should display what the guest needs to pay at the hotel in local currency (the amount in USD displayed was just an estimate, as the exchange rate can fluctuate a great deal). When I make a cancellable non-prepaid hotel reservation, I always write down the rate in local currency and assume the currency fluctuation risk myself. I know this case isn't about currency fluctuation, but if the guest knew what s/he should pay in local currency, there wouldn't be this problem.
I love Mexico and have lived in PDC for months at a time, but it’s constant scam avoidance. They rip us off on both sides of the border. Even Q. Roo that survives from tourism money is trying to implement, at least unsuccessfully for now, the VisiTax on top of the sky high existing airport and hotel taxes.
Try eating at the Thompson’s rooftop restaurant and lmk how that goes for you. Speaking Spanish...
I love Mexico and have lived in PDC for months at a time, but it’s constant scam avoidance. They rip us off on both sides of the border. Even Q. Roo that survives from tourism money is trying to implement, at least unsuccessfully for now, the VisiTax on top of the sky high existing airport and hotel taxes.
Try eating at the Thompson’s rooftop restaurant and lmk how that goes for you. Speaking Spanish is fun because you can call them out in their native tongue. Pinche ladrones.
Re: using ATMs, check the conversion rate, especially at airports. I arrived in CDG last year and wanted to get some Euros. The exchange rate was almost as bad as the exchange desk. I ended up waiting until I got into the city to withdraw some cash.
You’re doing it wrong if the ATM has a conversion rate.
Your bank should be converting, assuming you decline the conversion at the ATM which you should be doing 100% of the time.
Did you by chance select Dynamic Currency Conversion? I see a lot of ATMs giving that choice and it's easy to hit next without seeing it. Many establishments also give you this choice. Always pick "local currency." Occasionally we found some that make this choice for you. It's cheating. The DCC gives an extremely bad rate. If you select local currency your bank will convert it at the interbank rate+(usually) 2%.
You should always decline ATM exchange rate and charge in local currency.
Sheraton Mexico City Maria Isabel Hotel does the same scam
Gringo (like myself) = ATM machine
Most hotels are a scam these days.
"Resort fees".
$5 bottled water.
Overbooking. Getting "walked".
Paying $500 a night for a bed is absurd and never worth it.
It's a shameful, money-grabbing, unethical industry that needs a mountain of regulations, and even then, I'm not sure it'd get to a place where a fair service is being offered at a reasonable price.
Hotels are awful.
Especially the large chains. When the foreign currency drops against the dollar you would think you're going to get a nice discount. But these hotels all adjust their prices up. If you look at cities like London and Paris you'll see a drastic price difference between them and the smaller non US chains. I smell collusion.
DCC is a revenue source for hotels, VISA even goes so far as to list that as an incentive on their marketing material to merchants. Luckily there is Chargeback Reason Code 12.3, formerly Code 76, that allows for a reversal of any DCC transaction. This however is rarely known and not all banks cooperate with that.
So if a chain hotel is only offering room rates in USD on the final confirmation page (instead of local currency), do not book.
I have over 30 years of making Marriott hotel reservations and I can confirm this exorbitant exchange rate practice is mostly Mexican properties, usually non-managed Marriott properties. 15% to 17% increase plus the bank exchange fee which is usually 3% or 4%.
I have seen similar thing (but probably not a scam) happen when paying hotel bills with foreign credit cards in China under different scenarios -
1. The good one - when you pay the hotel bill with a foreign credit card, some hotels will offer you a choice to make the charge based on local currency or based on US dollars, and the amount based on US dollars is inflated with disadvantage exchange rate,...
I have seen similar thing (but probably not a scam) happen when paying hotel bills with foreign credit cards in China under different scenarios -
1. The good one - when you pay the hotel bill with a foreign credit card, some hotels will offer you a choice to make the charge based on local currency or based on US dollars, and the amount based on US dollars is inflated with disadvantage exchange rate, but you can choose to decline this choice and choose the charge to be based on local currency, where the exchange rate is live and accurate.
2. The bad one - a few times at Holiday Inn Express in Shanghai, if you want to use a foreign credit card to pay the hotel bill, you have to agree the disadvantage exchange rate imposed by the POS machine - the hotel could not adjust that or give you the choice to pay in local currency using the foreign credit card; of course, you can always pay with local credit card/Wechat Pay/Alipay or local currency in cash if available.
It doesn't take much searching on forums to show that hotels in Playa del Carmen have been playing fast-and-loose with currency conversion. A hotel will always charge for the stay in the local currency; this is not surprising at all. However, it is also not that uncommon in the very touristy parts of Mexico for prices to be set in USD. While absolutely scammy, the fine print in the reservation should make clear how the...
It doesn't take much searching on forums to show that hotels in Playa del Carmen have been playing fast-and-loose with currency conversion. A hotel will always charge for the stay in the local currency; this is not surprising at all. However, it is also not that uncommon in the very touristy parts of Mexico for prices to be set in USD. While absolutely scammy, the fine print in the reservation should make clear how the reservation rate will convert. A fun tip is to use VPNs to access the local version of the hotel reservation site. By law, a hotel in Mexico must offer rates in MXN, but it may take some hoops for someone outside the country to access those rates. Also... why is anyone staying at a Marriott? Isn't that just asking to be scammed?
Had the exact same thing on Hilton Mexico City Reforma.
Was quoted U$633 online, had my card charged U$675 (after converting from Mexican Pesos). It was a prepaid rate, so this was an instantaneous scam.
Complained to Hilton and received 10k points for the upcharge.
This is a lot more widespread that a single property. It's not uncommon to see this brought up on FlyerTalk (Marriott Medellin in the couple months). And there's another blog that has discussed this regrading multiple properties in Latin America.
Was just in Brazil where the Carrefour supermarkets tried to get me to pay in USD every time(DCC) with a - clearly marked - 15% conversion fee. They were at least upfront about the fee but they made it complicated and confusing to decline the conversion.
You had to answer no on the first screen and then yes on the second screen with confusing language on both screens. Surprised a big chain like that would do something so shady.
Am I missing something, or is this conversion rate as quoted in this article and in the original reddit post not making sense? If the hotel is offering him 19.29 MXN to the dollar instead of 16.69 MXN to the dollar, then they're effectively offering him a discount.
@ Blake Kaidensen -- Sorry, that wasn't clear, so I updated it to avoid confusion. Yes, you're correct, based on reading it that way, but I just didn't express it correctly, so let me try to rephrase.
For the room that was quoted as costing 132.37 USD, he ended up being charged 2,554.69 MXN, with the forced conversion. So that would be an exchange rate of 19.30 MXN per USD, except there was no option to pay the initial price in USD. Really that amounted to $153.
The trick goes like this:
MXN room rate is converted to USD, using 19.29 FX rate, to arrive at a seemingly low USD rate
On checkout, the actual MXN rate is charged to the credit card, and the credit card company will use market FX of 16.69 to convert to USD, causing a higher charge than USD rate displayed at booking.
This is false advertising during the booking process and common for some Marriott...
The trick goes like this:
MXN room rate is converted to USD, using 19.29 FX rate, to arrive at a seemingly low USD rate
On checkout, the actual MXN rate is charged to the credit card, and the credit card company will use market FX of 16.69 to convert to USD, causing a higher charge than USD rate displayed at booking.
This is false advertising during the booking process and common for some Marriott properties in Mexico. I know Marriott Mexico City Reforma always do this.
The ads have subsided, thank you @Ben!
JW Marriott Cancun does the same, rate is quoted in USD and charged in Peso at checkout. Personally, I have never given much thought but will calculate the fx loss/gain during my next visit.
Sample size = 1?
Don’t get me wrong, this is not good, but a few more data points would surely be appreciated before assuming this is a systemic issue.
A sample size of ONE is needed before posting for ENGAGEMENT!
@ Redacted -- If you look at reviews on Marriott's own website, another person recently shared a similar experience.
Read through the Reddit thread, plenty of others reporting the same, with the hotel refusing to address.
I can confirm this also happens at the Aloft Tulum.
>>When you book the hotel through Marriott channels, it’s always priced in USD; and that’s not just if you’re based in the United States, but that’s how the pricing is displayed globally
This is not true for me and would make no sense. If a hotel in Germany has a rate of 190euro then why would they show it in US$ to somebody living in Europe? We have no interest in the rate in US$...
>>When you book the hotel through Marriott channels, it’s always priced in USD; and that’s not just if you’re based in the United States, but that’s how the pricing is displayed globally
This is not true for me and would make no sense. If a hotel in Germany has a rate of 190euro then why would they show it in US$ to somebody living in Europe? We have no interest in the rate in US$ and it's very unlikely the hotel runs its accounts in US$.
When I booked a hotel in mexico via the marriott site, the currency was set to "default" and some hotels listed in US$ and some in MXN. I assume the price displayed is what you will pay.
Now how you actually pay with a credit card and whether you accept a conversion from MXN -> US$ (DCC credit card conversion) is another matter. But you should certainly be allowed to pay in the currency the rate was quoted in.
@ riku2 -- Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you see all prices for all "legacy" Marriott properties in Mexico listed in USD, while City Express properties (a recent acquisition from Marriott) listed in MXN?
I recently booked a long stay at a Residence Inn in Germany from Canada, via the Bonvoy App. The quote was in CAD$, but the hotel charges in Euros. So yes, depending on how long one stays, price of property, the Bonvoy quote is clearly a case of ‘subject to lots of things’ as opposed to what you will actually be paying. And yes, thank you thank you thank you for addressing the ads issue .
You can manually select any currency at Marriott's website but that's just for informational purposes, the actual rate is set in the "hotel currency". This normally the location where the hotel is located but if the local currency is weak, they will often use something more stable. South American / Carribbean hotels will price in dollars, while in Balkans, Turkey or North Africa you often have price set in euros.
Ben’s wording is *the* hotel, not all hotels. You can check for yourself with the property in question, you CANNOT book it in MXN, only in USD (even if you have no connection to the U.S. whatsoever, as in my case).
>>>>you should certainly be allowed to pay in the currency the rate was quoted in
Exactly. The hotel ensures the rate will ONLY ever be quoted in USD, and will only ever be...
Ben’s wording is *the* hotel, not all hotels. You can check for yourself with the property in question, you CANNOT book it in MXN, only in USD (even if you have no connection to the U.S. whatsoever, as in my case).
>>>>you should certainly be allowed to pay in the currency the rate was quoted in
Exactly. The hotel ensures the rate will ONLY ever be quoted in USD, and will only ever be paid in MXN, ensuring they can apply their ludicrous exchange rate. DCC is not really a factor here.
M*******? Brand standards? lol
And then do they apply DCC to apply their scam converted MXN rate, converting it back into USD at a scam rate too....?