Milano Nail Spa — Attraction in Houston

So, I’ve been here a few time and stopped for a while because each time they cut my toe. One time it got infected pretty bad I had to visit the Doctor. Anyways, it’s been over a year and I was close by and thought, I’ll try again. Big mistake! I remembered why I never wanted to return the last time. It’s so packed and busy, seems like a good thing until you are rushed to sit in a seat- which at first I didn’t think much about because I didn’t have to wait and was glad to be seen immediately. Then I asked if my son, 14, could sit next to me (he has in the past when I’ve had to take him with me) and they said no- he has to sit in a little rolling chair that they use when doing pedicures. I left that alone and was like, ok, they are busy. Then noticed other boyfriends and other men- not getting services sitting next to their significant other or family etc in a regular massage chair. But not a huge deal- didn’t say anything. Now, the lady starts to work on my hands and doesn’t ask what kind of manicure I want (they only asked for feet) she didn’t soak my nails, immediately starts to use the drill to take off my dip. I asked if I could pick a color because no one allowed me to prior nor did they ask nor did they bring me anything to choose from. Jessica (manicurist) ignored me- didn’t think anything of it because figured maybe she didn’t hear me or language barrier. I wanted a bit - and then her manager brought me the nail colors in a overstuffed box with these samples overflowing the box and I tried to get both of my hands to look through it and Jessica pulled my hand away. I said- it’s a little difficult to look with one hand. She didn’t say anything. So then I tried finding a color, felt rushed and it was color 3007 and I asked if we can match this with my toes, she said you have to find a color 800 and below- after the fact - after I asked to look with both hands and she ignored me and saw me struggling to search. She was very rude. She continued to rush through my dip manicure and left my nails very thick- I asked her, can you please make them thinner to look more natural. She backs argumentative and said- what do you mean? Be specific. I said on my nails can you make them not so chunky, the dip powder- she was like well where which one? With an attitude- then was like you have to actually tell me so I know - and I said all of them please, and if you can’t then it’s fine don’t worry about it. She started going off in Vietnamese and back and forth with the pedicurist and then the manager came- prior to the manager coming she quickly used the drill and made them thinner but cutting me multiple times in the process. Her boss came after she was ranting in Vietnamese and said is everything ok? I said I just asked for her to make them thinner and she did. I didn’t not feel like getting deeper into it because I knew I would just not come back and causing more drama with my son there was not something I felt like getting into. Then as you can see she left my hands a mess and left- didn’t say bye- never said one thing to me the whole time besides the attitude. Powder and residue still on my hands- they charged me $10 for “cuticle care” never did she do anything to my cuticles. Now Emma- who did my feet- she was a bit nicer but did ask if she hurt me, my second row on my right foot and I said yes because when she was filing she was talking with Jessica not paying attention and was filing my skin. Then- idk who does this- but raw lemon- raw- on my bare freshly shaved legs - burned like heck- no soap, lotion or anything. Just raw lemon- so odd. Again, the lady just gets up, leaves and I assume it’s over. No thank you and bye just left. It’s all so rushed and rude and it feels like a factory. All the glitz and glam is a facade over the poor quality and bad customer service. At the very least, I’d you cut someone say sorry and don’t try to hide it and don’t cut them multiple times! And you can tell discoloration on my thumbs because she rushed and didn’t do enough coats for the color so it’s...

Great spot and always busy!

UPDATE: I have had a horrible customer experience today by Minh. My original nail set turned out to be low quality and as I was checking out I asked them if the powder is typically this thick (picture below). They said no, and would fix it. I was reseated and found out that they would have to give me an entirely new set (no quick fix). I also realized once I sat down and the new nail tech, Michael, had pointed out that the last tech had cut my thumb and it was bleeding. Michael did a great job of fixing my nails, but I ended up being at the salon for three hours, frustrated and a cut on my thumb. I had asked if a future discount could be applied since I come here two-three times a month (have been to this salon 15 times). I was told no, that my ‘new set and change of color’ was my discount, which confused me because I didn’t ask for a new set nor a new color (I was told I needed to get a new color because the white I had originally chosen was too sheer and the only fix was a new set, so not too many options). I just wanted quality nails that I usually receive when I come here, and asking for a discount didn’t seem like a crazy ask after everything that had happened and me being a loyal customer. After ten minutes of going back and forth, Minh finally revealed that since I had a cut on my thumb, they typically provide a 10% discount, and made it seem small and inconveniencing him by saying it would only be $4 and made a face at me. He didn’t realize I had spent $130 at the salon, so it would not ‘only be $4’, but either way I said it’s fine. I asked if they could print me a receipt of my total spend (easy over $1500 because I spend over a $100 every visit) and he told me they could not (weird because they save all the previous information like nail color from when you visit). I then asked could you see how many points I have and convert it to dollars, but for some reason Minh (who seems to be a manager) did not know the conversion rate of points to dollars. I gave him my number because he said he would call customer support to find out that answer for me, I will be waiting for the call because I genuinely would like to know how much I have spent here and compare it to the terrible customer experience today with Minh. Either way, I am really sad from this experience because I absolutely LOVE this salon but now I have to weigh if it is worth the terrible customer experience from Minh, he just has a bad and impersonal attitude and acted like I was trying to get one up on him, but really I just wanted to be heard as a loyal customer who has spent thousands of dollars here. I hope the owner of the salon can see this...

As a resident of the Heights, I'm always looking to try different local nail salons. After seeing that Milano Nails and Spa markets itself as an elite salon, I decided to give it a try.

Unfortunately, my experience was subpar and disappointing from the moment I walked in. Despite its "elite" branding, the salon's setup feels more like a factory. I was herded into a straight line with what felt like a dozen other people on each side, packed in so tightly that if you're in the middle of the pack, you're constantly bumping into people just to get out. It was a chaotic and annoying start.

The staff were nice and greeted me well, and I was soon paired with a technician. I showed him what I wanted, which was an acrylic set on my natural nails (inspo attached). They were already shaped into an almond, so no tips were needed. I get my nails done monthly, and I know this service typically costs me between $55 and $65, and I've never paid more than $70, even at other highly-rated spots. I'm well aware of price hikes, but I was not prepared for what happened next.

After filing my nails and applying the base powder, the technician scribbled on a piece of paper and quoted me $90 for the total service. I was absolutely shocked. I asked him to explain the cost, but I couldn't understand his explanation. I told him I would discuss the grotesque upcharge with the front desk when I went to pay.

As the tech obliged, I could see where the upcharges came from: almost everything was an extra fee. The $55 base price had been inflated with additional charges for the almond shape, a gel top coat, and a "long length" fee even though they were on my natural nails. I felt completely scammed by their team. For a salon that markets itself as high-end, the practice of burying so many fees is deceptive and frankly, insulting. I would not recommend this place and will not be returning.

EDIT: Reduced my ratings from 2 stars to one after their combative response. Their tech did NOT explain the price to me twice. I did mention on my reviews them sharing it with me and that I asked to speak to someone about the prices....