The Nail Suite — Local services in Berkeley

I was in Berkeley looking for a place to get a manicure and came across The Nail Suite on Google Maps. With a 4.8/5 rating, I decided to stop by and check if they had availability for a walk-in appointment. When I entered, one technician was with a client, but Amy looked at me from head to toe—tall, Afro-Latino—and immediately said, “No, we don’t have space.”

What surprised me was her lack of effort to offer an alternative, like suggesting I book for another day. Out of curiosity, I checked their website and saw they did have availability. So, I went ahead and booked an appointment online.

As I waited in my Tesla, parked right in front of the salon, Ammy called me a couple of minutes before my scheduled time, asking if I could come in earlier. I agreed and mentioned I was parked outside. That’s when she told me I needed to find street parking, as they don’t provide parking for customers.

Despite this rocky start, I went in for my manicure. The final result was decent, although the filing could have been better. However, my biggest issue was the initial judgmental treatment I received. If you are a tall, Afro-Latino man looking for a manicure here, I highly recommend booking online beforehand, as it seems walk-ins like me are not welcome.

For this reason, I am giving them ⭐ 1 star. I’m also attaching photos of my nails so others can see the work.

Would I return? Definitely not.

En Español:

Estaba en Berkeley buscando un lugar para hacerme la manicura y encontré The Nail Suite en Google Maps. Tenía una calificación de 4.8/5, así que decidí pasar por el local y preguntar si tenían disponibilidad para un walk-in. Cuando entré, una técnica estaba atendiendo a una clienta, pero Amy me miró de arriba abajo—alto, afrolatino—y de inmediato dijo: “No, no tenemos espacio.”

Lo que me sorprendió fue su falta de esfuerzo en ofrecerme una alternativa, como sugerirme que hiciera una cita para otro día. Por curiosidad, revisé su sitio web y, para mi sorpresa, sí tenían espacio disponible. Así que decidí reservar mi cita en línea.

Esperé en mi Tesla, estacionado justo en frente del salón, hasta que, dos minutos antes de la hora de mi cita, Ammy me llamó para preguntarme si podía entrar antes. Acepté y le mencioné que ya estaba afuera. Fue entonces cuando me dijo que tenía que buscar estacionamiento en la calle, ya que no ofrecen estacionamiento para clientes.

A pesar de este mal comienzo, fui a mi cita. El resultado final fue aceptable, aunque el limado de las uñas podría haber sido mejor. Sin embargo, lo que realmente me molestó fue el trato discriminatorio y prejuicioso que recibí. Si eres un hombre alto y afrolatino, te recomiendo reservar tu cita en línea con anticipación, porque, al parecer, no somos bienvenidos como walk-ins.

Por esta razón, les doy ⭐ 1 estrella. También dejo fotos de mis uñas para que otros puedan ver el trabajo.

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The Nail Suite is the best nail salon in the Bay Area! They have a healthy, safe environment for all of their staff and customers by not using shellac or acrylic for nails. (All their nail polish is ORGANIC) They have some very talented nail techs as well and everyone is kind! The location is also great for me and it's never hard to access. Not to mention, making an appointment is simple because they use the Square app. I just click a button every time I want a new appointment. I go to them for GelX & their Aprés GelX when I want longer nails. They actually last forever and do NOT damage my nails like acrylic. Again, staff is great and the spot is extremely clean! Shout out to...

I’ve been going here a few times and have been seen by Emily and everything was fine. Then my last visit was a month ago and some new girl whose name I never got, destroyed the bottoms of my feet and gave me athletes foot. Then on top of it she wouldn’t let me pay with Venmo like I always have done and forced me to tip her well more than she deserved. I will continue to go to Russian nail techs and pay the extra money, because they sanitize their equipment and don’t try to force you for tips. As an Asian woman I really wanted to support another Asian owned business that just so happened to be down the street and have 5 stars but this experience was awful and I’ll...