I have never, ever paid for anything outside the US in anything other than local currency. Any ATM, hotel, store...anything....that offers to convert the purchase for you is 100% ripping you off.

I've stayed at multiple Marriotts in Mexico, the DR, Egypt, Colombia, India, South Africa...etc, etc. on and on...no problem. Must be a bad property.

It definitely depends on hotel and country. Last year in a UK hotel (IHG) I was actually charged less than quoted, due to exchange rates dropping. I was shocked, but if you recall, last June/July, the dollar was strong against both the Euro and Pound Sterling.

Out of the last 52 weeks I’ve spent over 8 of them out of the US. Zero charges from Marriott or others hotels in USD when the home currency’s not USD. EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY and MXP.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In the Philippines, for over three decades, I have always been quoted and paid in PhP (Philippine Pesos) with my U.S. credit cards.

I think you are missing the point. Mexico hotels will quote you in USD. They are happy to charge you in local currency at an inflated rate. So yes, you can be ripped off even though it's in local currency.

partial correction. They WILL charge you in local currency after converting the quoted USD at an inflated rate. You then have the option to pay that in local currency or your home currency via DCC (non Amex)

This is so far based on my experience in Mexico when the reservation rate is in quoted in USD, this and taxes makes using points a good value.

I think this is unique to specific markets, including apparently Mexico. In most countries the Bonvoy app and website will default to "local currency", and while you can toggle a USD quote you get a notice saying "Currency Updated When you reserve you will see the local currency of the hotel. Show me rates in local currency" At least this has always been the case for me booking in CAD or GBP, and a quick search shows it's also the case in EUR (France) and JPY. Having Marriot or the property convert a local currency to USD invites all kind or exchange rate shenanigans, similar to DCC.

I agree it is dishonest to allow reservation to complete in USD and then force a conversion later on.

Just get a revolut bank account that pays in any currency, do they not have this type of account in the US? So easy.

Not sure you understood the issue.

No, not everyone does that. IHG hotels in Turkey quoted their rates in euros, charged me in Turkish liras and I was pleasantly surprised that they used interbank exchange rate. I was already preparing for a long discussion.

Some hotels convert at a less inflated exchange rate but are converted nevertheless.

This supports the point of the quoted post — as well as OPs. You didn’t get a bogus exchange rate: good. But what’s being discussed here is how something scammy can (and occasionally does) happen when a hotel quotes in one currency -- that is not the local currency of the hotel -- and charges in another.

No, the post I quoted seemed to be a Marriott apologist saying that everyone inflates exchange rates so it's not so bad. Therefore I gave a counterexample disproving that.

I don't see a problem if rates are quoted in one currency and I'm charged in another as long as interbank exchange rate is used. And I fully support OP that it's deceptive or even fraudulent to use an inflated exchange rate. I have experienced that in Marriott hotels and have fought that.

Delete

Oh please… No where in what you quoted me says anything about inflated fx… only about reserved rate in currency other than the local currency.
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