What currency should I use to pay for hotels in Sri Lanka?

Hi there, I have another question: Should I bring dollars since hotels on Booking are listed in dollars... or should I exchange my euros for rupees? Thanks for your experience!

hi, since the rupee is a fluctuating currency, if you can pay in dollars that’ll be better. Only settle in rupees for small purchases like meals, etc...

Thanks Mathews! That means I need to get some dollars before I leave... OK Have a good evening

Should I bring dollars since accommodations on Booking are listed in dollars....

Hi there

Why would prices be shown in dollars 🤪 On Booking, you can choose your currency (at the top of the page). I don’t get the point of bringing dollars... either you pay by card or in cash with the local currency, otherwise the rate might end up being more expensive.

Thanks for your reply—it confirms my initial idea to exchange my euros for Sri Lankan rupees. Have a good evening

But why would prices be listed in dollars

Because, as I wrote in my first post, the Sri Lankan rupee is a fluctuating currency. Not to mention there’s definitely inflation, so a hotel getting paid in rupees is losing money somewhere. And that loss is passed on by exchanging euros into rupees—here, we’re talking about exchange rate losses. Given that the euro and the dollar are nearly at parity (just a few cents apart), we can consider the dollar a stable currency.

There's no point in having dollars in Sri Lanka. If you need to exchange money, bring euros.

Personally, I always paid for my accommodations in rupees (and I always used Booking). If the host set the price in dollars or euros, they’ll convert it to rupees based on the exchange rate on the day of payment.

Why dollars? Unless you already have some, you’d have to exchange euros for dollars, and you’ll always lose a bit in the exchange. Euros are easily exchanged in Sri Lanka. Personally, I’ve always paid everywhere in the world using the local currency (rupees here), even with Booking.

Thanks Jean Michel I’ll exchange my euros at the airport Have a great day

Hi Ludo, and thanks! This forum is such a treasure—this time, everyone agrees... Euros or rupees? Have a great day!

Hi Marie-Claude, I confirm, ideally in rupees :-)