Currency Exchange

[Omahacouple]

Where is the best place to exchange US Dollars to Pesos?? Do most of you just use US Dollars at Desire?? For tips etc...

Liz and Jerry

[mfay]

There is not a lot of reason to exchange USA dollars to pesos unless you plan to do a lot of shopping off resort or take excursions not booked at Desire. The Desire staff and most local merchants are happy to take dollars. We never exchange for pesos.
But, the exchange rate now is about 12.8 to 1, and the calculation isn't easy. So if you plan to do a lot of shopping you might want to get pesos just to make it easy -since everything is always priced in pesos.
You can do the exchange at the airport quickly and easily.

[vablondie]

We've been to Desire 7 times and have never gotten pesos. The staff are fine with US dollars. I would encourage you to tip them generously, they don't expect it but are appreciative when you do and work ridiculously hard. We have yet to come across service that comes close to the fine people at Desire.
We have left the resort on three separate occasions and used our Mastercard everywhere but the taxi and he had no problem taking US dollars.
On a side note though, trust me you won't want to leave the resort once you get there we have like I said and each time we were dying to get back. We no longer leave until its time to go to the airport and even then we delay it as long as possible!

[tout.prest]

Being from Canada, we always exchange for Pesos before we head down, as the exchange rate is much more favorable while at home. The current exchange rate is around $1 CAD= 12.25 MXP

Obviously, The staff will take any form of currency they are offered (why wouldn't they ?),but most of them only truly understand the relative value of USD and MX/Pesos.

If you are from the USA, just leave your money alone, but if you are from outside the USA I suggest that you convert directly into pesos (NOT USD) before you head to Desire. This avoids the staffs local bank from making $$ on yet another conversion as they trade it back for pesos.

Another added Bonus is that MXP paper money is waterproof !! This has proven VERY handy for me when the shorts fall in the pool

Steve

PS - For anyone wanting to know the current core exchange rate of their local currency check www.XE.com