My experience was better hotels ONLY took hard currency - and rates were quoted in dollars or Euro.

The posters etc in It'l arrival even before you got into hall were all doing the "Psst ... Want Cambio Senor?" whisper - it is pretty brazen.

HOWEVER I am darn nervous about such deals in case you get set-up by a crooked cop working with them etc. Which apparently occurs big time in the airport.

Who are you going to complain to if ripped off?

A guy on plane was a local and we'd spent time with before. So he did the money swap in a dark corner, and likely got a ton more than I would have, so I gave him 10% of it!

We went into the Jungle to Canaima, and there and in similar places local money was fine, but for large CCS hotels you are screwed I think.

I booked the airport CCS hotel (EuroBuilding) as they collect you and have armed guards and a security compound type deal. Expensive but re-assuring in a very dangerous city for tourists

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...Venezuela.html

Even THAT place was held up by AK47 toting bandits a few weeks after we stayed.