Helen and Shelly were so good! Best gel in a very long time :). Fast and efficient. Not sure why others complained? read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Gel nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I recieved a pedicure by Shelly...what an amazing experience..she didn't rush at all, no hurting involved. I highly recommend her!

We called for a spur-of-the-moment gel manicure while we were in Ithaca. The gentleman that answered the phone was extremely courteous and friendly. The nail techs were very professional and our nails look fantastic! If we lived nearby, this would totally be our new nail salon. So next time we're in town, we are going to stop in and get our nails done. This fabulous salon is downtown. What a lively, historic town! read more

A fine option for your nail needs while in the heart of Ithaca! I scheduled an appointment for a bride and her fam the day before her wedding about a week in advance. We all met there and they were nice enough to let us bring in some champagne and glasses to toast her wedding weekend, which was great. The techs are a little pushy and the front desk attendant was absolutely miserable. A pretty stale vibe overall - super bright and fluorescent. Everyone was overall happy with their nails but my friend had a blister form that the techs weren't super helpful in helping us figure out what to do about it. As other reviewers have mentioned, pushy about tipping even when it seems like you can tip on your card. A fine option if you need a speedy service! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I've always had very positive experiences, both here and at the location by the mall! I'm a regular, and I always trust them to do a good job for a fair price. I wanted to leave a review today specifically because they were able to fit me in as a walk-in and did a perfect job on my gel mani. My nail tech is even gave me four coats of polish to make sure there was no transparency, which I really appreciate. I also give kudos to the staff for putting up with a very unreasonable (and rude) customer who put them in a very uncomfortable spot. My patience was tested on their behalf, but they handled it well. Will return as usual! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

New to town! Tried this nail salon and had a great experience. Will be going back! Affordable, offers student discount. Try it out! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - French gel manicure - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Overpriced and terrible. I've gotten acrylic tips here before and they came out just ok. But today I went for a regular manicure and well ... see for yourself. Not worth the $15 + tip that he made SURE I give. Student discount is only for service $35 and up And excludes many things, so they basically falsely advertise. Literal scam. read more

See all

Daughter is graduating from college. She never has pedicures, but wanted pretty feet for pictures. Went there with her classmates. Said it was a Horrible experience. Said they were rude and dismissive and rolled their eyes at her when she couldn't decide on a color fast enough for them. Said she will NEVER go back and kept yelling at her to "pay now, pay now"...when her toes were barely dry. what a waste of time and money. The reviews may look nice...but my daughter's experience sucked and she was upset by it. Put a damper on her upcoming graduation experience. Absolutely NOT recommended!!! read more

Everyone here was so sweet and accommodating. They took their time with both mani and gel pedi. And I decided to treat myself with a ten minute chair massage- the older gentleman has a magic touch. Would definitely be back if I lived in the area! Very affordable for the service. Love my nails! read more

I've been going to both locations for over two years now and they always do a fantastic job on my nails! Sammi is the BEST!!! I always love the chill atmosphere in both locations, I really feel like I can relax when I get my nails done. read more

See all

I've been going here for about 3 months now. I get a gel fill and usually make an appointment. Different people do my nails and they are all consistently good. Reasonable prices and professional atmosphere. My go to nail salon! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Just got my nails done! - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I called to make a same day appointment for a mani and pani for my husband and I. The place is nice, bright, spacious and clean. They did a wonderful job with the callus treatment for my husband and my nails look lovely. Will be back! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Paraffin pedicure. - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

See all

DO NOT GO HERE!! I have read some other reviews as well and see them responding back to people with lies. Accusing their customers of being dishonest. I asked the nail tech for a fill very simple and wanted them a bit shorter. She drilled down to a certain length to my liking. She then asked me what shape I wanted I told her round and she started to shape my nails with her drill which is just lazy. Anyone who's done their own acrylic knows you're supposed to hand file the shape. My nails got really short, super uneven, and unflattering just because she didn't wanna take the time to hand file the shape. I shared with them it was way too short and I didn't like them. I'm not usually picky about my nails I've been to nail salons all over the U.S and never have I ever had such a bad experience. They then decided to extend the length by putting stickers under my nails to use acrylic gel to lengthen the nail. Which ended up looking like a disaster. The nail tech could barely apply the stickers. She didn't seem certified or licensed. None of her techniques used were normal. I even asked if another nail tech could finish for me just because she didn't seem like she had any idea what she was doing. The nails ended up sticking upward, and flat as well. Did not look natural at all. As well as part of my skin was nicked and started bleeding they applied a green solution on it that hurt. I shared with them how concerning it was and that I wanted them removed or possibly a whole new set they would not agree to it. I got up before they could paint the nails requesting I be accommodated but was not. Not only did I recognize that they were bad but the other nail tech was giving judgy looks to my nails as if she knew they were messed up. They made me pay full price. The man I spoke to who I assume was the manager or owner had no customer service skills and wasn't willing to work with me. Do not go here. I will be telling my friends, family, and all of my other connections to not go here. I work at a doctors office with hundreds of patients around Ithaca. Also have family who works in the Cayuga hospital. We will be sharing this story. My cousin also went with me and had a bad experience. (She's in high school) and will be sharing her experience with her peers there. They were very aggressive with our hands. My nails that were filled were painful from how poorly they were done. I had to take them off myself last night with acetone because I feel uncomfortable going back in. Considering doing something more about it. Again I am not usually picky but I felt really uncared for and they gave a lot of attitude so I feel the need to share and spread that you will be unhappy going here. I suggest going to luxury nails, or miracle as an alternative. read more

See all

They were so accommodating! I had 3 ladies with me for a mani and pedi. It was a last minute walk-in and thank goodness they took me in since my wedding was the next day. They were very patient with my mom since she hasn't done a mani and pedi in years. It's now been 6 days and my gel nails still look fab read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

This is an absolutely terrible nail salon. I have been here a number of times and not only their nail techs arent good at what they do (they filed my nails down so much that they entire nail pealed off eventually) they are also straight up disrespectful to waiting customers. Do not even bother to make an appointment with them because they will quadruple book themselves for the time they give you, only to not even give you a second of their time to tell you how long the wait will be. Avoid this place. read more

Called an hour ahead of time to book an appointment and was lucky they squeezed me in! Raymond did my nails and was really helpful giving colour recommendations, and he also was very detailed-oriented and careful the whole time. I usually get my nails done in big cities, but my experience here was just as good -- yay! Did a multicolour gel manicure and they didn't charge me for extra colours or previous gel removal (which other places usually do), and overall it was very worth the price. $5 off if you present a student ID, too! Fully recommend coming here :) read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nails, again - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

See all

My experience was simply horrifying. The lady was vastly incompetent and rude. I pointed out some imperfections and she was very annoyed. She then went on complaining for an hour and she threatened me that she would stop doing it if I was still not happy. Then she ripped some dead skin off from my cuticles using her hand just to get back at me! It was super painful and it is now bleeding. Even if it was not intentional, it was very unprofessional to pull the dead skin off the cuticle instead of cutting it. In addition, as a mandarin speaker, I overheard some nasty comments about the other customers. It's really hard to have good faith when you hear such mean and insensitive comments. Not even to mention the horrible job that she did. It's funny at this point that the horrible nails are the last thing that bothered me there. I'm not a perfectionist and I'm very easy going, if people like me feel like I was poorly treated and that they did a horrible job, people who wish for perfect nails should avoid this place at all costs!! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

See all

This was my second time coming here, and it will be my last. The first time I went, I asked for an acrylic fill (the original set was done at a different salon). Instead of using acrylic, they basically poured gel goop on my nails, and they burned when underneath the UV. They also cut me numerous times, and burned my nails When I returned back this time (and waited for 30 minutes), I wanted the acrylics off my nails, and just a regular gel manicure, which is exactly how I worded it over the phone when I made my appointment. I asked the manicurist to take off the nails, which resulted in at least 3 employees coming up to me and convincing me to just get a fill. This went on for the next 5 minutes, and they continuously questioned why I wanted to get them off in the first place at least 3 times. Finally, I caved and said I'd get the fill, and they immediately stopped questioning me. Eventually I told them just to take them off (which they charged me $15 for) and give me a regular manicure. At that point, I was ready to leave and never come back. read more

Bad experience!!! The male tech was very unpleasant, unprofessional & rough!! He was also making comments about me throughout. I will never go here again. Perhaps one of the others would have been nicer. read more

I got a gel manicure, but the person doing my nails did not fully remove the nail polish I had on before (very dark purple). I got a jelly-sheer color, and the polish left behind is totally visible and makes my fingers look dirty. There's also a good amount of gel left around the edges of my nails and the ends of my nails are kind of rough, I'll definitely have to file them later. I haven't gotten my nails done in 6 years and will not be coming back read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Leftover polish on nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Messed up to manicures along with a list of other problems. Messaged them and no reply back. One set of nails so awful even the nails were uneven. read more

Amazing nails by Tom! Very calming interior and great nails. Not perfect but great for the price read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Full set - 60$ plus tip - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

See all

I got my nails done Thursday evening with my roommate because that was an evening that worked well with both of our schedules and it is always nice to get your nails done with a friend. Our experience was not great. Honestly my last few times at Cayuga downtown have not been great. I have been getting my nails done every three weeks. (I feel like that is a normal nail regimen). The owner or manager told me that because it had "been a while since I had last gotten my nails done" that they were going to have to up charge me. It had been exactly three weeks and one day and I have been getting my nails done consistently at Cayuga which makes me think that someone is not doing their job correctly to ensure that there is minimal damage done. This point proved correctly when, on SATURDAY, my middle finger chipped. Then today, I pulled my hand out of my book bag when grabbing a pencil and my thumb was broken. I am so disappointed. I paid extra to get my nails fixed and it has barely been five days since I got them done? What was I paying this extra money for? I am very upset at the quality of this manicure. read more

See all

I Last time I came here to get a full set they did a horrible job. I never went back after that. 0/10. I recently went back because I wanted to add some jewels to my fingers because this other nail salon (who did my nails) didn't have them abs Cayuga nails wanted to charge me $30. Absolutely ridiculous. Never will I go back nor do I recommend anyone going there. Horrible and unprofessional read more

So I went for 2 mani pedis here while I was in Ithaca a month ago. They did a great job w accurate gel nail polish, but one thing was a huge problem. They don't soak off gel nail polish. They both times used a mechanical nail file to buff off the gel nail polish. I have VERY strong nails, but after 2 times at this salon my nails were wrecked. They didn't use base coat, just put the polish directly on, and I have huge dents in my nails that I've been trying to grow out for the last month. Will never, ever go back here. read more

Visiting from out of town and stopped in to schedule an appointment for a mani/pedi. We were greeting in a friendly, welcoming manner, and offered to have services done on the spot. Very professional and masks worn at all times. Prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend getting your nail services done here. I'll be back next time we come through town. :) read more

I met up with a girlfriend today for a little self-care and we both had a great experience here. I normally go to the Triphammer location, but since my nail tech is no longer there, we thought we would give the downtown location a try. It did not disappoint! Ivan was super nice & helped me pick out the exact colors I was looking for. He literally read my mind. He got my pedicure started for me. Raymond took over starting at the massage (which was 100% heavenly might I add), finished my pedi, and did my mani. The experience was flawless and my nails are perfection! Hopefully Raymond will stick around for awhile bc I will definitely be going back :) read more

See all

I got my nails done last Saturday, which is only 6 days ago. I got a full set of gel extensions with solid gel polish for 65$. I was expecting for my nails to last for 2-3 weeks like they are supposed to. Today I have had 2 nails pop off fully. For this amount of money, I am shook about the outcome. They looked pretty but for 6 days and 65$, it wasn't worth my time nor money. read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nails fully popped off - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I go to spas to be pampered and feel good. The nail technician, Kevin, either was in training or just didn't take pride in his work and it shows. I'm completely dissatisfied with both my pedicure and manicure. The French gel manicure is already chipping less than one week. The pedicure wasn't done professionally either. I'm from Arizona and have traveled in the last few months to Upstate NY and Michigan. I had my nails done in Michigan one month ago and that was the best mani/pedi I've ever had and lasted three weeks. Wow! I went back to Cayuga Nail Spa to see if I could get my nails repaired. I just wanted one or two done as my daughter and I were heading for NYC. If I had known I would've been treated the way I was during the session I would've never gone. I was in Ithaca and decided to go back to the salon to ask if they would repair it. A very nice young lady said, "yes, they would!" I let her know that Kevin had done my nails the week before. I picked the same gel color and was sat down with another nail technician. His name started with a J. I should remember it because of the maltreatment but his name eludes me. The manager who I remember from the week before comes in and the three males start speaking in their language. The one doing my nails, his tone and infliction were with disgust and I could tell he was annoyed by something. I asked the manager if there was miscommunication somewhere. He asked me to explain my situation and /or dissatisfaction with my last service. So I explained very diplomatically. He said that the young lady up front was a new employee. I told the manager all I wanted was a repair. At this point all my polish had been removed. , "J" continues to speak his language and is rough with my hand. He paints and at this point he and Kevin are talking back and forth while he taps my hand and says "change" as I put it under the lamp like you do for gel polish. It was like this the whole time he did my nails. I felt like I was being abused. That may sound crazy to some but my experience was just that horrible. I should have said "F" this and not allowed him to continue but I did. I felt like crying. I was humiliated. I wasn't charged for the redo but that's not the point I'm making here. It's the principal of the matter. It's the treatment and bad customer service I received. I will NEVER go back there EVER! Also, when getting gel polish, anywhere I've gone before will put two coats on. I noticed both times only one coat was placed hence the polish chipping and not lasting. That's a way they get you to come back sooner. That's just plain bad practice. That's my story. Maybe others have had better experiences there and that's the reason I chose them that day because of the good reviews. I unfortunately left "J" a ten dollar tip, saying to the manager I was sorry for the miscommunication. Jeez. I shouldn't have though. It's like rewarding bad behavior. read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Gel nail polish chipping. - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Came for a gel manicure, came out with bleeding and pain. He overfiled my nails and the skin around, causing bleeding. In fact, the skin around my nails are very painful right now, especially when I run my hands under the water. The nails had to be redone because the person who did my nails did not communicate to me that the design wouldn't be possible on my nails so it ended up looking horrible (my design had lines so imagine "lines" that were clumpy, uneven and thin - it looked like the work of an amateur). Disclaimer: when I showed him the picture of the design (very simple design with lines), without any further communication, he agreed that he would be able to do it. The results were TERRIBLE. I was on the verge of tears but held it in after seeing the outcome because I couldn't bare to walk out with those nails. After I spoke to the manager (?), the person redid my nails but I guess he took it personally from having to sit there and redo everything and overfiled them. Overall, I will NEVER be coming back here again. read more

Just got my nails done and i'm in LOVE! I wanted acrylics and had an inspo pic in mind, the nail technician was able to recreate it spot on. She and the other staff were very welcoming and sweet. The overall store is very clean, takes Covid precaution with booth separators and plastic wall in between you and the technician. Price is also very fair. Would 100% recommend! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

See all

It is unacceptable and disrespectful to waste a customer's time and tell them you are available for a manicure and pedicure and then leave them soaking their feet in a tub for over 30 minutes (when this review was written) while doing another customer's manicure simultaneously in front of them. It would be much more professional to either ask customers to come back at a later time if you're understaffed or just too busy, or just say no and that you don't have any appointments available so customers can head to another nail salon that does have availability. After voicing my disappointment, nothing was done by the staff on-site to remedy the lack of transparency. It's safe to say I will never return to Cayuga nail spa downtown given the lack of honesty and consideration for my time. read more

I made an appointment for my friend and I to get a mani/pedi. This place is huge and has the nice big massage chairs. We got a mani/pedi for $35! I'm so glad that this place is downtown and walkable from my house! The man at the front desk was really nice and friendly. I would definitely recommend here, despite the bad reviews. I had a pretty good experience here. read more

We had a great experience! We went with my sister the day before her wedding and they did an excellent job! The staff was so friendly & the nail spa was so clean! They even wore 2 masks. Thank you! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Very good nail salon with reasonable rates. Angie was excellent and really cared about her work. She did a great mani-pedi and was diligent about matching the pedi color to my gel nails. Their business practices are very good, clean store, clean instruments, and the workers are careful with clients. I will definitely return when the store reopens! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I would definitely not recommend coming here. I came in for a pedicure and left with several cuts and abrasions on my toes. I said something to they guy that was doing my pedicure that he was filing ect.. my nails to rough and he didn't care or change his way of doing things. Now my feet are sore after paying 50.00 for what was supposed to be a relaxing pedicure. read more

It was one of the most horrible experiences I've ever had at a nail salon! It started with me asking for a price, and the owner who was doing my nails tried entirely to avoid the question. And then, when he proceeded to remove my acrylics by filing them, he kept digging his long pointy nails into my skin. I kept asking him and telling him to stop and that he was hurting me. By the time he got to my third nail, I had decided not to endure the torture anymore once I realized that he was leaving marks on my skin. I told him I was going, and he asked me why. I again explained to him that he kept digging his nails into my skin, and he didn't even offer me an apology and went straight to helping a different customer. I asked my friends about their experiences there and they told me that the owner is known for his horrible customer service. Additionally, for a nail salons located in Ithaca, New York, its prices are outrageous. Save your money and your sanity and go somewhere else! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Costumer abuse - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

So clean and new inside, I got a gel and they did such a nice job. I also forgot my mask and they kindly gave me one. I really enjoyed getting my nails done here! read more

Cayuga Nail Spa Downtown - Nail Salons Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Always pleasant, quick & do a great job. The location is very convenient being right in the downtown business district

I called in advance to make an appointment for a regular manicure. They said no appointments. PERIOD. They said to walk in, so I did. After waiting 30 minutes, other people walk in with an appointment. They told me they didn't take appointments and that was it. I'm supposed to wait around for hours while other people can make appointments??? Extremely stupid, unprofessional, and rude. I would give them 0 stars if I could. read more