Amelia Nail Spa — Attraction in Columbus

UPDATE: Emma did my pedicure - and despite it being about a year, remembered me! She was very kind and exclaimed it was nice to see me, which was very touching. Plus, the pedicure itself was excellent - with her attacking my very neglected feet and turning them from hooves back into those of a lady's. And the hot towels were back!!!!

Coming in, I'd asked about a full set in addition to the mani pedi I had booked. I was assured this would be entirely possible.

Hai(sp?) was very fast and efficient - although his needing to serve as receptionist, with frequent phone calls and ladies streaming in, did interrupt. If one is in a hurry, this may be be bothersome, however.

So why didn't I rate it as excellent? One was the constant interruptions. Not a problem, but not ideal. Second was being asked to sit next to some who would have been like 2' away, not 6'. Twice! (I felt bad saying anything the first time as the lady was African-American, and I didn't want her to think that was the reason.) Anyway, when I protested both times, I was accommodated by being seated at least 6'. Third, I had made an appointment originally for a mani and pedi, but was not seated at a pedicure station, which has the massage chairs. Fourth was not disinfecting a chair some had sat in seconds before me.

From start to finish, I was there about 3 hours. Most was being attended to, not waiting etc. Thomas is professional, efficient, and fast. A full French tip set was done in 45 minutes!

The pedicure, done by Emma, was also very nice. No hot towels, though, because of COVID-19. I think the price was a bit reduced because of it, but not by much. The chair massage is almost worth the price of the pedicure - quite invigorating!

Shop is very clean. There are partitions between the technicians and patrons. Everyone is appropriately masked up. I felt very much like Thomas was taking the disease seriously and trying to keep everyone safe.

Because of that, no receptionist - and one must sanitize, check in (on a keypad), then wash hands for a minimum of 20 seconds. People with appointments can't come more than 5...

After almost 5 minutes of explaining and agreeing with the technician of what end results I would like I still had to correct the work being done several times. While getting my full set I asked for rounder tips, thinner acrylic coat, more narrow nails, smaller tips (French tips) and also asked to change the color of nude being used as I did not like it but was told that I had to use that specific one or I wouldn’t receive the results I wanted.. which makes absolutely no sense but I went with it as I was already very frustrated and just wanted to get home for my birthday gathering. After my first hand was completely finished I wasn’t pleased with the results but I had to get home. When I was being checked out my total came to $77 which I was in complete shock as I was told a full set was $40 plus $5 for a shape. I was then told I was charged $15 for gel which I DID NOT ASK FOR and definitely WAS NOT TOLD I would be charged for. I knew then I wouldn’t return. I got home and realized my nails were completely ruined and I got nothing I asked for. I called back to schedule to get my nails fixed and when I came in i got dirty looks and very rudely asked why I left if I didn’t like my nails the first time, rudely asked what was wrong with my nails and the manager continued to speak to the employee that was doing my nails so that I couldn’t understand and they kept holding my hand up and looking at it which was all very humiliating. I understand some technicians are at different levels and can do different quality of work but for me to go about the situation the way I did and get terrible treatment back was very uncalled for. I’ve had issues in salons before where I have to return to get things fixed but never was criticized for it and it was more of a shock to me as the first day the manager told me if there was any issues they wouldn’t hesitate to make it right but just don’t offer refunds which I said was perfectly fine. If anything makes you not chose like salon let it be that i’m not the only comment that they use gel without your confirmation to make your total $15...

UPDATE: Got my manicure removed and sure enough, I've got a ring of fire on all ten nails. My natural nail is thin and has a groove that will last at least 6 months. This location does not have enough experience using e-filers. There are plenty of better alternatives than METAL e-filers as well. My cuticles healed but left behind tons of hangnails. My natural nails will just have to suffer until 2025. Hoping my nail beds are strong enough to pull through.

In the end, my manicure look alright once I was finished, but not worth $100. However, I got the impression that this is a chop shop. They used a drill bit directly on my natural nails and used the same drill bit to cut my cuticles until two of my fingers bled. Definitely painful and risk of infection. They're nice, but the goal is speed and profit. I was rushed and literally did not have the chance to ask the price of my nails before they were hitting my pinky finger with the drill bit. My "technician" was literally checking their watch with my hand in theirs. Furthermore, it does not look like they sanitize their tools-- you can see white dust on them before they use them on your own nails. What is happening during your appointment is going to be unclear and you have to ask for clarification often. If you want relaxation and care, go to a professional technician. There's several in Columbus if you look. If you want a rushed manicure with some corners (and your cuticles) cut, ambiguity, and an average result, come here. I'm going to a professional salon to adjust what they've done here and praying my cuticles recover quickly. If you do come here, be explicit that you want your cuticles pushed back, not cut, and ask for a single color paint. Only let them touch the tips of your nails with...