I decided to go to Ava's for my birthday since none of the salons were able to accomodate me on such short notice. One thing I was wary about was having to put down a deposit over the phone. Oh well, since it was last minute. When I arrived, I looked around at all the tacky clothes displayed EVERYWHERE. There wasn't anyone at the check-in desk and when she finally showed up, she handed me a piece of paper that had been copied so many times, words were cut off, and left again. Fortunately we I finished my paperwork, the massage therapist was ready for me. I went into the tiny room to change. There was no ambiance, only a boombox on top of a counter next to votives that weren't lit. I laid on my back on the table and stared at the dust on the ceiling fan and water spots on the ceiling tiles. The massage itself was ok, but the conversation soon became personal and intense. My facial was next. The sloppily dressed esthetician came out chewing and licking her fingers to ask if I was her next client. I asked if she was at lunch to which she replied she had to run out during her lunch and had to eat when she could. The room smelled like buffalo wings. Again, staring at the ceiling, I wished they could've painted a mural or jusr repainted period. Other than me asking her if she smoked because her hands smelled like cigarettes, the facial was pretty good. She did all the steps I expected from the exfoliation and extraction to a steaming and mask. I did not, however, expect my facial massage to extend past my clavicle which made me uncomfortable. I started to question it after she told me about her "lesbian" experience. I'm not sure when she became that comfortable with me to share that.. When I checked out, the woman who took my card was not pleasant nor asked about my experience. There were kids running around, spinning the chair I was in as I was getting a makeup application. That was the icing on the cake. I would have rather gone back to Red Door and paid extra for the professional attire and ambiance then go back to Ava's even with a free pass. No thank you! I will NEVER go back. EVER!!!! read more

I've been Ava's three times in the past and its been a few years since my last visit. First, Ava's is tacky. There is so much STUFF. When you walk in its like you don't know where to look first because its so cluttered and tacky. The last time i went, I got a bikini wax. The room I was taken into was teeny tiny and very cluttered. Not exactly the "spa like" experience for the price I paid. Another thing I thought was that my room did not have a door, instead it had a thick curtain. Call me crazy but if I'm getting waxed in a more 'private' area I'd prefer a door...not a curtain! Needless to say this was the last time I went to Ava's and I've since had many different services done at other spas around Richmond. All of which have been more affordable and more enjoyable. I will never return to Ava's to say the least. read more

Went for the couple's massage on October 6. We had the couple's room and paid the couple's price, but weren't close enough to chat or anything which was kind of a bummer. Staff was really nice and the place was quiet (one of the stylists was playing Tetris on his phone). Didn't care for the piano jazz and Weather Channel music playing during the massage though. A bit pricey for length and intensity of massage ($180 after they applied a 20% gratuity for 2 people). Probably won't return because of cost, and probably wouldn't recommend, but it wasn't a bad experience. read more

I contacted Ava's Day Spa to get individual lashes. While making my reservation I was asked for my credit card, I assumed to hold the reservation. While on my way to the spa, about 20 mins later, I contacted the Spa to change my services to a lesser value due to this being my first visit. I wanted to ensure that I liked the technician, the final product and the salon as a whole, prior to buying a more expensive service. While on the phone with the owner, I was told that I should just keep my previous appt. because she had already assigned a tech. I stated to her that this would be my first visit and I wanted to see how things went, prior to making such an expensive purchase. She immediately changed her tone and said that she was the only technician that could render the requested service, and that she was not available today. Mind you, I was not aware that my credit card had already been charged the full amount, and was not told of any cancellation fees or fees associated with making an appt. With that said, she did not offer to reschedule, provide me with a store credit or give me my money back. Yes, the card had been charged for the full dollar amount prior to my appt time. I would have like to get this service done, however with the way I was treated, I would never go to nor recommend Ava's Day Spa for any type of service. At this point it is not so much the money, but the way I was treated during the whole ordeal given the dollar amount I was willing to spend. From a Loyal, Paying customer...your loss Ava's! read more

My wife and I went to Ava's because we had a gift certificate from our wedding. We walked into a very tacky salon/store. There were clothes, sunglasses and jewelry all over the place. The clothes looked like they got them from Michael Jacksons backstage touring closet. We were greeted by Ava and her staff. After filling out the information card, we went to the massage room. Needless to say, it was very dirty. Old sheets, nasty ceiling and dinge all over the place. The massage was very bad. It was more painful than soothing. After we were done, we had lunch in their little dining area. With the bottle waters, diet coke with no ice, the plastic dish ware was fantastic. Our lunch was a small and skimpy grilled chicken salad. I would have preferred to eat at home. Hours later, I am still greased up. I would never recommend this place to anyone. Save your money. read more

I had a horrible experience dealing with the spa. I tried to set up appointments for myself and four friends coming into town for a girls weekend. The owner would not even schedule the appointments with out my credit card first. I had no problem with that. I realized the same day I made the reservations weeks in advance that I had booked for the wrong weekend and called her to fix my error. She said that she would have to charge me a $200 rebooking fee. I was so mad. Even though we were going to keep all the appointments and we were just moving them to the correct day, she still wanted to charge me. I even went in to discuss it with her in person. I told her that if she was that crooked I would prefer to pay the fee and go elsewhere. I really am still irritated with her...what a bad business move. read more

my friends and i came here a couple years ago for a birthday. there were 4 of us, so when we called to make the reservation, she charged us the group fee with tip included. i thought that was odd, but figured they did something special for groups of girls or something. when we arrived, we were all split up the whole time and didn't see each other again for 2 hours, so why we were charged a group fee, i don't know. the room i got a massage in was dingy and definitely had no ambience. when i was laying on my stomach, i could see how dirty the floor was. my "hour-long" massage lasted 35 minutes and then the woman just walked out of the room. i had no clue it was even over til i peeked my head out of the door and asked her what was going on. then it was time for my "hour-long" facial. i was actually happy this only lasted 25 minutes. the lady was talking on her cell phone, popping her gum, and put so much soap on my face, i could barely breathe. i was blowing bubbles out of my nose because it was in my mouth, up my nose, etc., and the lady was laughing about it. my friends all had equally as bad experiences. one friend got a pedicure from a girl who said how much she hated giving pedicures the whole time. they looked so bad, i repainted them for her when we got home. this was such a waste of money and if i can stop one person from going there, i will be satisfied! read more

This place is horrifically bad!! I went in to get a bikini wax and the technician burned me! After two days, I was still really red and the skin was broken out and very painful. When I called the salon to complain, they asked me to come in so they could take a look and see if there was anything they could do to help. The owner told me I was overreacting and that I would heal after a few more days. She said that getting burnt while waxing is completely normal and happens all the time. I'm sorry but it most certainly does NOT! She was completely unapologetic and offered me no help for my very burnt and tender skin... she even tried to blame it on me saying that my skin must just be overly sensitive. I have never had this issue before, but even if I had that is certainly NO WAY to treat a customer. I will never ever go back here and I highly encourage others to avoid it as well. Go anywhere but here... this place is TERRIBLE. read more