Originally Posted by
HIDDY
Why didn't you ask them to charge you in pesos if that's what the bill said? Glad to be corrected but I don't think they can refuse not to.
Well, they did charge him in pesos at the rate the hotel decided to charge. He agreed to a US$ rate, without agreeing to any exchange rate. This is the problem. Buy rate? Sell rate? Interbank rate? Rate at the hotel desk? Yes, it appears the latter is what the hotel did.
And contrary to what the OP stated, I don't think the "official" rate has been fixed. I think the government has pumped as many US$ as it can stand to keep the rate relatively stable.
Unless you have guaranteed that you'll be charged actual US$ (which a lot of hotels on the other side of the Cordillera actually do - a US$ processed charge with no conversion on US$ quoted prices for foreigners), you can end up hosed. The Sheraton in Mexico City does it every time.