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Sheraton in Chihuahua just attempted to charge me a 21% conversion fee but accepted US$ cash at the quoted price after I contested the charges.
The Marriott in Torreón had a large fee that I complained about and they corrected the fee to market after some hassles. I don’t recall the amount, about 200 pesos on a US$80 stay. JW Marriott Santa Fe charged a 15% conversion fee. I am working with them to try to get it removed after the fact. Fairfield Aguascalientes charged 24% conversion fee and refunded the difference after I complained. I’ve been on a motorcycle ride from Panama and am tired of the hassles at check in and check out with Marriott. If I were to travel here again I’d only book hotels that quote local currency. |
Is this different from the DCC “convenience” charge? I have found it best to book and pay in local currency and let the credit card company’s exchange rate work in my favor (assuming use of card with no foreign transaction fee). If the exchange rate really changes that much, would prepaid stays avoid the issue?
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Originally Posted by Chapdaddy
(Post 35233163)
Is this different from the DCC “convenience” charge? I have found it best to book and pay in local currency and let the credit card company’s exchange rate work in my favor (assuming use of card with no foreign transaction fee). If the exchange rate really changes that much, would prepaid stays avoid the issue?
hotels quote in USD/EUR. Convert it to local currency at an inflated rate. You can then pay with local currency. You can also pay in home currency with DCC which becomes a double hit. |
This sound like it is mainly an issue with hotels in central america taking an excessive skim on the conversion?
Anyway - Marriott should have the option to quote, confirm and pay hotel prices in local currency. Otherwise is is effectively 'bait and switch' for being hit with undisclosed fees and conversion charges. I've never had an issue with this in the EU or Asia, where I quote and book the hotel rate in local currency when booking and they honor and charge that price. They should not automatically convert to another currency without your request and approval. |
If you insist on paying in Foreign currency, expect to pay a premium for the convenience. Most hotel websites have the option to quote and charge in local currency. Fairfield Inn & Suites Aguascalientes is quoting 1474MXN/night for a King bed, standard room, and 1740MXN for a King Bed Suite. Source: https://www.marriott.com/reservation...ltTab=standard
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Originally Posted by myperks
(Post 35232802)
marriott Reforma rates are in USD and they convert it to MXN upon arrival. You can then be charged in USD on your credit card but you get hit with DCC. Basically double whammy.
So *if* OP agreed to DCC, and the dollar amount offered matched the quoted rate, then presumably there would be no additional upcharge. That's a big if, but might be a workaround ("charge me X in USD, I don't care what amount you have to enter in local currency to get to that amount").
Originally Posted by Whyyz
(Post 35233623)
If you insist on paying in Foreign currency, expect to pay a premium for the convenience. Most hotel websites have the option to quote and charge in local currency. Fairfield Inn & Suites Aguascalientes is quoting 1474MXN/night for a King bed, standard room, and 1740MXN for a King Bed Suite. Source: https://www.marriott.com/reservation...ltTab=standard
Doing the same search for Tokyo or Paris, the results are in JPY / EUR, not USD. The behavior appears to be specific to Mexico. In any case — I hope that we can all agree that the OP is entitled to be charged the amount in their confirmation email, regardless of the currency. This is something I would likely raise with a credit card company if the hotel won't resolve it. |
Originally Posted by myperks
(Post 35233227)
different than DCC. hotels quote in USD/EUR. Convert it to local currency at an inflated rate. You can then pay with local currency. You can also pay in home currency with DCC which becomes a double hit.
One way to prevent the DCC scam is to use an Amex card, as Amex doesn't allow DCC. Maybe that's why some hotels have started doing what's described in this thread: not only can they set the percentage much higher, they can get everyone, eve if they use an Amex. |
Originally Posted by Steve M
(Post 35233865)
It would seem difficult for a hotel to quote in USD, convert to local currency at some inflated rate, but then do a DCC back to USD, as the USD amounts would be wildly off, very obvious, and difficult to explain. I'd wager that with only one of these two scams in use, most travelers don't even know they're being ripped off (which is how they get away with it most of the time), but almost everyone would notice if they did both on the same transaction.
One way to prevent the DCC scam is to use an Amex card, as Amex doesn't allow DCC. Maybe that's why some hotels have started doing what's described in this thread: not only can they set the percentage much higher, they can get everyone, eve if they use an Amex. I always just selected local currency because it will match when imported into expense report because DCC always trigger FX out of range and flags my reports for additional review. |
Originally Posted by myperks
(Post 35233968)
Mexico is the most inflated but happens in turkey, Indonesia, and as others have pointed out, also in LATAM
EDIT: This issue, however, does exist for other hotel chains and is in fact one of the most annoying things about IHG bookings in Indonesia -- as well as Vietnam |
Originally Posted by dtremit
(Post 35233853)
In my (very limited experience) with (refusing) DCC, the USD price option has always included the markup. Which is to say — for e.g. a charge of ¥10000, the options presented are ¥10000 or $85, with the latter already including the upcharge.
So *if* OP agreed to DCC, and the dollar amount offered matched the quoted rate, then presumably there would be no additional upcharge. That's a big if, but might be a workaround ("charge me X in USD, I don't care what amount you have to enter in local currency to get to that amount"). At least searching from the US, I can't get marriott.com to offer a rate in MXN:
Doing the same search for Tokyo or Paris, the results are in JPY / EUR, not USD. The behavior appears to be specific to Mexico. In any case — I hope that we can all agree that the OP is entitled to be charged the amount in their confirmation email, regardless of the currency. This is something I would likely raise with a credit card company if the hotel won't resolve it. |
Originally Posted by 80proofGalleyCart
(Post 35233998)
It does not happen in Indonesia: Marriotts price out and charge in IDR. Has been this way since the merger and was with SPG before it.
EDIT: This issue, however, does exist for other hotel chains and is in fact one of the most annoying things about IHG bookings in Indonesia -- as well as Vietnam |
I followed the link above and it only quoted USD. I am presently in Mexico. I try to force to MXN on marriott.com and it shows me the conversion from MXN to USD but says the price will be charged in USD - the MXN price is only for reference. Same experience as the poster below. I cannot find a way to book Mexican Marriott properties in local currency on the Marriott app or website.
However, going to expedia.mx does yield prices in MXN. For May 22 - May 23, 2023, the marriott.com price is US$91 including taxes and fees non-refundable. (Plus undisclosed 24% conversion markup) On expedia.mx the price is 1630MX including taxes and fees non-refundable. That converts to 91.61 USD presumably without undisclosed markup. Lesson: book on Expedia’s local website - or other local website - for a fair price. |
Not an expert on this by any means, but don't hotels generally (and I'm pretty sure it's all I've seen in the case of Marriott anyway), charge in the local currency? And then offer to have you pay in USD, based on the inflated rate, once you swipe your US-based card?
I know the app will show you the rate in USD if you want, and you can set this to whatever currency you want on the website, but I remember, at least at some point, some language about the rate shown in USD at foreign properties as being a conversion - something like it is an approximation based on current exchange rates (yes...probably with 'extra' tacked on) - and that you will be charged at the local currency rate at the hotel. And yeah, I always charge the amount in local currency, as at least IME, the rate I get on my CSR tends to be pretty good compared to whatever is going to be used locally at check out. |
Similar to other's post, Can confirm that a recent March stay in Japan and Korea was quoted in local currency and charged in local currency. I remember the POS giving an option for DCC but I always select local currency given the inflated FX.
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Solutions: booking.com, expedia.mx, local booking sites, phone
Upon further research, booking.com allows you to select a local currency and book in that currency. Expedia.mx quotes MXN for Mexican hotels. Other local website may quote in local currency. If all else fails, phone the hotel and book directly in their local currency.
Never book a hotel in a non-local currency, they can invent any number they want to convert your quoted price to local currency and then charge that inflated number to your credit card. |
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