Not just for the locals.

Tropical Bar and Las Chavelas are both owned by the same company as Hong Kong. Some of the local girls told me that all of the clubs in Zona Norte are owned by the same family--but I filed that under SS. While girls from Tropical and Chavelas will take less money for arriba, both venues follow HK's format of a designated daily exchange rates. That is to say management sets an exchange rate for the day (slightly below the market rate for Peso/Dollar ratio) and all prices in USD are static. When you pay in Pesos, it's the USD prices converted by the daily exchange rate.

Often when asking for the price in Pesos at all 3 HK bars, the masero will whip out a calculator and give you and uneven number in Pesos. So while you can save a little by paying in Pesos, the difference will not be as great at many of the other bars in the area or TJ at large. Most other clubs have USD and Peso prices set long ago, and they seldom update the Peso prices for fear of driving away the local mongers that make up the majority of their clientele. It's these non-HK clubs that we had the most success with our exchange rate experiments this trip.

The last time I set foot in Tropical Bar was during a massive remodel. They were still open for business even though the drywall was flaky and unpainted, while you could see loose nails laying in the corners of the bar. What a difference now! The current theme rests between an early 80's Miami salsa club and a TGI Fridays. It oddly works with lighting that doesn't tire your eyes out (no strobing or gaudy colors that are so common in bars and clubs) and a light up dance floor surrounded by some tiki themed chairs and tables. Even without Hong Kong's high ceilings the new presentation conveys an open sense of space. Two sets of bathrooms on the east and west ends of the bar ensure that even when packed, you can easily access the facilities.