I'm traveling with my family overland from Santiago to Córdoba this weekend. I was planning to buy AR$ in Santiago figuring I'd get pretty close to the blue dollar rate, but after hunting around today the best I found was a rate of AR$1 = CLP$51, which at the current exchange rate of US$1.00 = CLP$590, is equivalent to only US$1.00 = AR$11.6, considerably under the blue rate.

So I changed a minimum amount just to have some pesos with me when we cross the border. Fortunately the owner of the hotel in Mendoza where we will be staying Saturday night has offered to change dollars at a rate of US$1.00 = AR$13.7, which is close enough to the blue rate that I'm not going to quibble. The vacation looks pretty cheap at the blue dollar rate, especially compared to what things cost in Chile!

Does anyone know if most hotels are changing dollars at the blue rate? Are restaurants? For instance, on the way back from Córdoba we're going to stay at the Hyatt in Mendoza. Would a major chain like that accept cash payment in US$ and give me something close to the blue rate?

If the answer is no then I'll likely change enough dollars on Saturday to cover the entire trip...but I'd prefer to dole out the US$ in small batches as we go, to avoid overdoing it and returning to Chile with excess soon-to-be-worthless pesos.