I’ve long enjoyed The Finicky Traveler weekend column at the Wall Street Journal. It’s one of the few print columns that isn’t afraid to say when a luxury hotel falls short of expectations—or downright blows it.

“In more than 10 years of writing this newspaper’s Finicky Traveler column, I’ve had my share of unpleasant experiences: the famous hotel in Venice with green mold on the carpet, the pricey Caribbean resort with toxic odors from a local dump, the luxury hideaway in Southern California where our room was next to a city excavation project.”

A recent column departed from the usual first-person review, however, telling readers they may get what they deserve if they don’t speak up now and then. Travel expenditures can be major, so treat them that way. “For some reason, hotels (especially some of the grander ones) seem to cast a spell on people: Folks who wouldn’t shy away from sending back a $60 bottle of wine that tastes off, or returning a defective product, somehow turn into sheep when it comes to a hotel room.”

Read the full article to get all the tips, but here are some of Laura Landro’s key points on making your stay better.

1) Ask for upgrades upon check-in (especially if things are slow).

2) If you’re not happy with your room when the bellman opens the door, ask for something more suitable.

3) Call ahead with special requests and speak to the concierge ahead of time for reservations and experiences that are important for your stay.

4) Check your bill carefully before checking out. (Just this morning I found a mistake on mine, with a minibar bottle that was never removed.)

5) Vote with your feet. Unless you’ve prepaid your entire stay—often not a good move unless you know the hotel well—then move down the street if problems can’t be resolved.

See reviews of the best luxury hotels in Latin America.

The plummeting euro has been all over the news the past few months. In a strange twist of fate, the non-Chavez-leaning countries of Latin America are looking like models of fiscal stability now compared to their colonial cousins in Spain and Portugal.

The euro is at its lowest level in five years against the greenback as the flight to safety continues. So what does that mean for your travels to Latin America?

Not much, actually. As I’ve pointed out on here before, many of the currencies in Central America and South America move in lockstep with the U.S. dollar. In Ecuador and Panama, the dollar is the currency—you don’t even need to change money upon arrival. In others, like Honduras and Belize, there is a very narrow trading range.

The most volatile exchange rates are the ones attached to the most developed roaring economies: Chile and Brazil. Expect a lot of volatility if you’re heading to those commodity-rich nations. Things are a little brighter right now though: the dollar is up 6% in Brazil and 7.1% in Chile since the new year started.

The bad news is, that’s coming off a very strong 2009 for those currencies. The news is worse elsewhere, with the dollar faltering a bit against the currencies of Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, Uruguay, and Costa Rica. Not by much though—the declines are all under 5%.

Mexico is basically flat for the year, which means around 12.5 to the dollar—still a great exchange rate in historic terms. Argentina is still hovering around 3.9 to the dollar, after being at 3-to-1 before last year. (Unfortunately, they’re making up for it with high inflation and increased visa fees upon arrival.)

Does any of this matter if the changes aren’t dramatic? Not a whole lot for your biggest expenses. If you book a tour with a company marketing to North Americans, they’re pricing things in dollars anyway. Most luxury hotels set their rates in dollars as well in this hemisphere, with Brazil being the main exception. Latin America real estate may or may not be priced in the local currency: it depends on the target market and the location.

Where you really lose or win is when you buy things or services that are priced in local terms. When the dollar is strong, you will pay less for taxis, restaurant meals outside the hotel, and excursions you book with a local company not affiliated with your hotel. Local flights will usually be in the local currency, except for places like Peru and Argentina where they like to play the game called “soak the foreigners.”

Naturally if you’re living somewhere for a while in a vacation home or retirement home, these fluctuations matter more. They then affect your property expenses and labor expenses.

To see historic exchange rates, follow this link to fxtop.com

In a new attempt to stay ahead of people trying to copy the world’s most popular and portable unit of currency, the U.S. treasury is rolling out an even more complicated $100 bill on February 10. According to this story in the Wall Street Journal, there are some nifty new touches.

“The 3-D security ribbon contains images of bells that transform to numeral 100s that turn into images of bells, and back again, as the note is moved. When the note is tilted back and forth, some images on the ribbon appear to move side to side. If the note is shifted side to side, these images slide up or down.”

Also there’s an inkwell that changes color from copper to green and the movement will also make a Liberty Bell appear.

If you’re going to be traveling after mid-February, be sure to request the latest versions for the cash you’ll carry. The older your bills, the more hassle you’ll get at banks and money changers because the older ones are easier to copy. (I once went traipsing around to every kiosk in Cusco trying to change a stupid pair of $20 bills that were the version before last.)

You can see images and video of the new bill at www.newmoney.gov

Last year I interviewed one of our business partners, Jamie Schectman, about renting a house in the Bariloche region of Patagonia. Jamie and his wife are American, but for the past few years they’ve been watching some of the world’s most incredible sunrises and sunsets over the Andes Mountains from their home beside the lake.

A new business opportunity is calling them from the bottom of the Earth to the top and they are making plans to return to Alaska. They are putting their amazing property up for sale and if my life situation were different I’d be tempted to buy it myself. Listed at $379,000 it includes land, three separate homes, and priceless views.

“Located in the exclusive Llao Llao neighborhood, outside of Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina, this impressive property includes three houses. All enjoy their own amazing vistas of Lake Nahuel Huapi, Victoria Island, the Andean Crest and Chile, as well as individual privacy, private parking, and fenced landscaping with native trees and wildflowers.”

The two additional houses generated $21,000 of income last year through Bariloche Vacation Rentals. If you didn’t live there full time you could rent out the main house as well.

See the full scoop, with lots of photos, at this Patagonia View investment property page. There’s clear title, minimal closing costs, rental permits in place, and few hassles to purchasing here. To see what life has been like in this spot for the couple, see the Living in Patagonia blog.

It looks like the U.S. home foreclosure wave is climbing into the upper ranks. A new story in the Wall Street Journal out today is titled, Foreclosures Hit Rich and Famous.

There’s nothing modest about these houses, with outstanding loads of $5 million or more.

-a Tudor mansion in Bel-Air belonging to film star Nicolas Cage

- a 14-acre Westchester mansion belonging to a former Merrill Lynch executive who headed up the Latin America division

- a Manhattan condominium owned by Italian film producer Vittorio Cecchi Gori, sold in a foreclosure auction for $33.2 million

The article says that in February alone, 352 homes nationwide in this $5 million+ category “…were scheduled for foreclosure auction, the final step before a bank acquisition.”

So what does this mean for Latin America? If you want my advice, tread carefully in the obvious bubble markets fueled by lots of speculative California money, places like Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and the northern Pacific developments of Costa Rica. Or at least drive a hard bargain there to be sure you’re getting the true market rate. Plan to use your home a lot as the high-end rental market and near-term appreciation are both looking dicey for a while.

See our Latin America real estate stories for more.