Exchange Rate at Alfreds

Use Ja $$. Just there last week with another couple. Got separate bills. The bills came in Jamaican. We had Ja $. The other couple did not. I told them to just give $100 to $1 plus tip since the exchange rate was 107. The waiter came over as we were leaving and asked if we knew what the exchange rate was. I told him yes. He said "no I mean "our" exchange rate. It's 95 to 1. Told him he had plenty of money and walked away. Fish & chips were not as good as they use to be. Kind of greasy. Don't think we will run right back there.

Well, that was just ridiculous to have their "own" exchange rate. Agree about the fish and chips. We usually look forward to them and they were not that good when we were there in Feb.

I had this happen at another well know establishment in Negril ---- didn't exchange the money and have never been back . . . not sure how it's justified

This is why we use JA $. They have every right to set whatever rate they choose and most will make money on the exchange. You won't find much different if you try to use USD around here :)

Here in Canada all restaurants ,shops etc. accept American, but they all set the rate they want to charge. After all the recognized currency is the J not the US$ . They are charging you for the privilege of using US and therefore can charge you anything they want. You don't have to accept it. You can always use Jamaician money.

In the UK, Euros are accepted in many places in the same way, and each individual establishment charges their own exchange rate.

I agree that it is better, more straightforward and cheaper to use JA dollars.

Aren't fish and chips supposed to be greasy ?? In the UK they are served on grease proof paper because of this.

Alfreds is one of favorite places to eat and i agree that last reach the fish was not as good, did not used to be that greasy, its not the same fish they used to serve for fish and chips and we were also disapointed, But the rest of the food we had there was excellent as usual. They should go back to the fish they used to have, it was much better

Okay, good to hear comments from different countries that the establishment rate is a 'standard practice' when accepting non-local currency!

To put this in perspective, say the other couple's bill was $5000 JA, (hopefully it was much less than that), if they pay the bill at an exchange rate of 100 JA to 1 US, it cost them $50 US. If they pay at the rate the waiter told them Arthur's charges; 95 JA to 1 US, the bill would have been converted to $52.63 US. A difference of $2.63 US (on an example bill of 5000 JA).
Had the other couple exchanged their US $ at a cambio, bank etc. at an exchange rate of 107 JA to 1 US, and paid the example 5000 JA bill in the National currency of Jamaica it would have cost them $46.73 US.
Maybe the waiter may have been trying to say, are you sure you want to pay in US? (because our exchange rate isn't really that favourable to you). In the big picture, a difference of a couple bucks more for lunch, if one chooses not to use the Jamaican National currency in Jamaica, (NOT local currency as many people call it, but National currency), then perhaps they shouldn't be overly concerned about how a beach restaurant sets their exchange rate.
....When in Rome.....

Well Said sunray

I agree. Well said. I have always used US currency even though I know I will be paying a little more. It's worth it to me to not have to worry about exchanging currency from US to JA and back to US when we leave.

That's just my opinion and what works best for me.

It wasn't a big deal. Our friends were leaving the next day and no longer had any Ja$ left. The waiter just didn't get as big a tip if THAT was the exchange rate he was using. But it is things like that that make me say "OK don't necessarily need to go there next time". Just saying ......
100 to 1 was certainly fair.

My 2 cents...it's not the place it was for years and years. Service is slower and IMO the staff has a crappy attitude. So now people can't sit at the bar and order breakfast....and when the table waitress is overwhelmed servicing 3 tables I can't go to the bar for a drink. Between "it's not my task/job" + a 90 minute breakfast experience, I doubt I would go out of my way to give Alfred's more business until I see glowing reviews here or elsewhere.

Oh and....we stopped in maybe 60 minutes before a show on show night and wanted to eat dinner. To quote " yes you can come in and eat dinner but if you are still here when the show starts you have to pay $$ for the show. So.....I just want dinner and if they have slow assss service I have to pay for a show that I don't want to see??? Hopefully Alfred views this and makes some changes...please.

Mo:
Thank you for your feedback. How is Alfreds after 7 or 8pm a few people mentioned that they were harassed by pimps at the bar.
It was mentioned that if you go to late for drinks it becomes a problem.

@ LA... while not addressed to me, at the bar I have never seen any pimping or any of the other terms. There are people that work in the sex trade selling what they sell but under the roof it's on the up and up. Outside by the music there might be some offers but they seem on the down low. Put it this way, I took my girlfriend there a couple of months ago knowing she has a hatred toward the pay for sex industry and she didn't pick up on anything. Even without her, I want to eat my food without dealing with that type of stuff...

Eco:
Thank you nice to know you can enjoy yourself without any drama.

I stopped going to Alfred's a long time ago because of the amount of hustling that was evident from both male and female sex workers.
No one bothered me personally because I was always with my husband, but I found it really tacky and sad too.

It's a shame really, and I know many who have stopped going for the same reason.

I've never particularly rated their food either

West:
Several people have mentioned the same thing regarding the hustling & have stopped going to the place.

I've never understood why people don't just exchange their money into JA$. If you're worried about having JA$ left over at the end of the trip, the answer is simple: Do a better job of planning how much you anticipate spending each day.

Otherwise you are just putting yourself at the mercy of the local merchants, and you will never come out on top in that scenario.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Muck

I've never understood why people don't just exchange their money into JA$. If you're worried about having JA$ left over at the end of the trip, the answer is simple: Do a better job of planning how much you anticipate spending each day.

Otherwise you are just putting yourself at the mercy of the local merchants, and you will never come out on top in that scenario.

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I have to agree. They paid the lower exchange rate out of convenience because they didn't want to go to a cambio. I expect places to have a lower exchange rate then at the cambio. That's why we use JA$. Granted, I would assume 100:1 if I had to guess but 95:1 is reasonable enough. They should put the total on the bill in US$ and JA$ or at least put the 95:1 exchange rate for US$ on the bill so you don't have to guess. When in doubt ask.

we love Alfreds , Whenever i was there with the wife we never got harassed much at all but i tried going by myself a couple of times and was a bit too much lol. We love ppl watching there . We thought that for eating they had gone down a bit, but still had a couple of good breakfast's there . They do need to go back to what they ever they were using for the fish & chips because what they r using now is greasy and is not the same fish, I have no idea what they used before that but they need to go back to it ,because it used to b the best f&c's on the beach. Thats not going to stop us from going to Alfreds, too many good memories