I wanted to take some time to reflect before writing this review, because up until yesterday, I've had great experiences at this salon. Unfortunately, my most recent visit was far from that, and I left feeling incredibly disappointed.
Before I get into the details of my appointment, I want to point out something that made the environment uncomfortable right from the start: the temperature. At one point during my visit, the thermostat read 77°, and it felt every bit of it. I wasn't the only one who noticed--one of the technicians was visibly sweating and had to keep a paper towel in his pocket to wipe his forehead throughout my service. This isn't the first time I've felt the salon was too warm, but this was by far the worst. A salon should never be warmer than 72°, especially when the service is supposed to feel like a treat.
Now for the appointment itself. I mistakenly booked the wrong service, assuming that the $65 price point was for a standard pedicure. When I arrived and we realized the error, I was asked if I wanted to do a "deluxe pedicure." I agreed, not realizing it was the $100 "D'Lux Jelly Pedi" until it was already in progress--partly my fault for not asking, but also not clearly communicated. Once I accepted it, I figured I'd treat myself and enjoy the upgrade. Unfortunately, it was anything but relaxing.
For some reason, three different people handled various parts of the pedicure, and the technician who administered the "spa" features seemed unsure of what he was doing, as if he hadn't been trained on the process. Many of the features listed in the package were either poorly executed or skipped entirely:
1. Loofah sugar scrub: I never received a sugar scrub. A loofah was used, but it felt more like product was being wiped off than exfoliated.
2. Callus and paraffin treatment: The callus treatment lacked any real pressure and removed almost no dry skin. The paraffin was messy--the bags weren't tied properly, much of the wax spilled into the foot bath, and it was removed while still liquid, resulting in a mess on the towels and chair.
3. Mud mask with hot towel wrap: I saw lotion applied to my legs, not a mud mask. The towels were lukewarm at best and had cooled down by the time they were wrapped around my legs.
4. 20-minute warm lotion massage: There was no warm lotion and certainly no 20-minute massage. What I received lasted maybe five minutes total, with little to no pressure applied.
To top it off, the footrest on the chair was never used. I had to hold my legs up in the air during the callus treatment, which was not only uncomfortable but completely contrary to the point of a "relaxing" pedicure.
I genuinely wanted this to be a treat for myself, but instead I left feeling frustrated, sweaty, and like I'd wasted both my time and money. It's disappointing to spend $100 (PLUS $20 more for gel AND a $10 tip) on a service that fell so short of its promised experience. I expected more, especially given my past visits, but this one left me questioning whether I'll return. read more