I stayed 2 nights at the SHS last month.

It was on a cat 4 certs. The room and everything was average. My wife enjoyed the free tea station.

But what causes me to write today is the frustration I had at my departure. I had to catch a 1:45am flight. At around 11pm I asked the front desk to call me a cab to go to the airport (they have a free shuttle to LGA but my flight was out of JFK. I chose the hotel near LGA b/c that is where my wife was in and out of.)

I told the front desk that I planned on leaving at 12 midnight and to call the cab accordingly. At 11:40 the FD calls our room and let's me know the cab is there, I said great... I will be there at 12. They call back at 1150pm and tell me the driver is going to leave because I'm taking to long. I reminded them that I said 12 and that I would be there the time I said.

I get outside and I don't see any cabs. Then this man with a heavy accent tells me that he is the one that the FD has arranged. (one of these guys that drives around the arrivals loops clogging up traffic honking and yelling TAXI TAXI.)

I ask how much and he says $50. I laughed. My cab to the hotel was $30 with traffic and if the prices are still the same as last time I staying in Manhattan it's $50 flat rate from the island to JFK. I turned around to go tell the front desk they have made a mistake. The valet asks me if he can help... I asked how much it should be to JFK. His reply was 25 or 30 max. I went back to the driver and told him VERY clearly I was willing to pay $25.

He says ok and I figure we have it settled.

We get to the airport and I unload my baggage and hand him $30. In my head I was thinking it was 25 and I was giving him an extra five because I'm sure it's a tough business. So I pay him and tell him he shouldn't try to rip people off...

Here, he makes a big scene and demands that I give him another $20. I took back the money and change the $10 to a $5 and told him now he gets what we agreed upon. He gets out his phone and says I can't do this and he is going to call his boss.

This went on for about sixty seconds. Finally I said I'm done and left the money in the trunk. He was yelling and started to follow me. So, I turned around and told him he was welcome to do whatever he would like but not to follow me. If he still disagreed with me I pointed to a police car a hundred yards away and asked him to please get the police.

He finally left.

I am extremely disappointed that the marriott would not call me a cab but an illegal car service who tried to rip me off.