Now that the Hyatt hotel in T&T has shown its hand with regard to T&T currency as payment for its services, I understand why another hotel—the Trinidad Hilton—charged me in US dollars for a Sunday buffet brunch I had there last month.
When I made the reservation, the price was quoted to me in T&T currency; however, at the end of the meal for my party, the amount on the credit card machine showed the price in US currency.
I had not paid attention to it then and completed the transaction. However, when I checked my bank slip later, it occurred to me that they charged me in US, as opposed to TT.
The downside of this is that the banks have limitations on the amount of US money one can use for such transactions using foreign currency in a month, so that by the local hotels charging in US currency for goods purchased locally, they are affecting and dwindling our US allowances surreptitiously.
Since one cannot refuse our local currency for transactions done here at home, the Government and the Central Bank need to stop this immediately.
Clyde Alphonso