Euros or American dollars?

It will be paid with the currency the card is based on.

And bring us some Guinness back.

When I was in Europe I found that my bank was charging me crazy fees for making a withdrawal from the ATM. I was paying 7 bucks to pull out 40 pounds from a ATM in London. A conversion fee of some sort.

That was with Bank of America.

Ask what the house rate for dollars is. If it’s better than the market rate plus 2% (about what you’ll pay if you put the amount in dollars on your credit card), go with dollars. Normally though, the hotel will make plenty of margin on the conversion, so it’s better to pay in the local currency.

If you choose to settle your bill in US while you are in a foreign country, you get that exchange rate at that time. If you choose to settle it with euros, your exchange rate will be the one at the time of your bill. Could be better, could be worse. They do that in New Zealand, as well. I always pay in the currency of the country I am in, and hope for the best. In New Zealand it turned out for the best, but the Euro doesn’t fluctuate too much compared to the dollar, so do what makes you comfortable.

If you choose euros: you pay the rate the establishment charges + conversion rate to your bank
If you choose USD: you pay the converted rate the establishment charges, but no conversion rate to your bank.

Base your choice on who gives the better conversion rate, the establishment or your bank.

Thanks for the insights everyone. After an afternoon in the thermal baths and a cold beer, I no longer care what currency I’m paying with!