Madeline Nail Spa — Local services in Columbus

I called around noon the same day and booked an appointment for 4:00 PM for a full acrylic set with nail art and a pedicure. I arrived 10 minutes early. About 20 minutes later, another group of two women arrived for their 4:30 appointment.

By 4:50, I was finally seated — not for my acrylics, but for a pedicure. The pedicure itself didn’t start for another hour. The service took about 20 minutes, and afterward, the technician simply walked away, leaving me to wait again — this time for my acrylic set. I ended up waiting over an hour before being seated for my nails.

The man doing my nails could barely sit still for more than two minutes at a time, constantly getting up to help other customers. I didn’t blame him entirely — one poor woman had been there since 3:00 PM, and by this point, it was past 7:00 PM (they close at 7pm).

The scheduling was a complete disaster. Another woman who was booked for a mani-pedi waited so long that she told them she no longer wanted the manicure. Two other customers with an appointment ended up waiting 2.5 hours before deciding to call them out, cancel, and leave.

Every single customer seemed to be silently bonding over the chaos, exchanging looks and mouthing things like, “What is going on?” and “This is unbelievable.” My acrylics were not finished until 8:50/9 PM — five hours after my scheduled appointment time.

Throughout my service, I felt extreme anxiety knowing I needed to speak up, even though it’s not my nature to complain. Normally, even if I’m unhappy, I leave smiling, tip well, and only vent to my mom later. But this was different.

When I went to pay, I calmly explained — visibly shaking — that while I loved the way my nails turned out and wanted to be a returning customer, this was an extremely poor first experience, not just for me but for every customer I had seen that day. I asked if they could adjust the bill, even slightly, given the wait time and overall experience.

At first, the man told me their system couldn’t do any discounts. I suggested removing part of the extra charges for nail art or gel. He then spoke to another woman in the salon and suddenly said they could do 10% off — after previously claiming no discounts were possible.

I explained again why this was unacceptable. Other customers even nodded in agreement. The man then walked away and sent over the woman he had been speaking to. She came right up to my face and, with hostility, yelled, “Then what discount do you want? Tell me a number.” At that point, frustrated, I said “50%.” She responded that the best they could do was 11%…

Some of her other comments included: • “Why didn’t you leave mid-service?” • “Don’t come back if you can’t be patient.” • “Don’t come here if you can’t afford it.”

I was shaking with anxiety and disbelief. I paid and left. I sat in my car for a while, calling my mom to vent, and noticed that the woman with her daughter, who had arrived at 4:10, was still there when I left the parking lot at 10:15 PM.

After reading other reviews, it’s clear that many customers have experienced the same issues I did. Unfortunately, several of the business’s responses come across as dismissive, often stating they “checked the cameras” in an attempt to undermine the reviewer’s credibility and downplay their negative experiences. In some cases, they even insisted the reviewer must have confused them with a different nail salon.

For a relatively new business, they have an unusually high number of five-star reviews, many of which contain identical wording and exaggerated enthusiasm, raising questions about their authenticity.

Overall, this was the single worst experience I have ever had — not only at a nail salon but anywhere. The nail art turned out well, but the unprofessionalism, hostility, and blatant disregard for customers’ time was appalling. If I could give negative stars, I would. I’m truly ashamed I spent a single dime here. While I could say I hope this business fails, it seems they are already on that path due to their...

(Edited Review – Owner’s Full Response Included Below)

I originally left a 3-star review because I truly loved how my nails looked and appreciated the staff’s kindness. But there were serious concerns I couldn’t ignore.

I personally witnessed my nail tech going between me and another client without changing gloves or tools. That is not an opinion , it’s a sanitation issue I observed directly. I know this salon often says they “checked the cameras” and “didn’t see anything,” but that response feels like an attempt to dismiss client concerns. I stand by what I saw.

The Gel-X set I received looked amazing, I even said I wished I took pictures. I never said the nails were poor quality. The problem was that within a few days, they were lifting and popping off. I’m now out of state and unable to use the warranty, and unfortunately, the prep didn’t hold up.

What bothered me most was the dismissive and deflective tone in the salon’s response. Rather than taking ownership of a clear hygiene issue, they redirected responsibility onto me for not saying something mid-appointment. But it’s not a client’s job to remind licensed professionals to follow sanitation protocol, that should already be standard.

There is talent here, absolutely. But professionalism means being open to feedback, maintaining hygiene, and handling concerns with maturity, not just offering pretty results.

I’m not here to argue with a business owner. I’m sharing my honest experience. I encourage others to read not just this review, but also the owner’s response below and how other concerns are handled.

Owner’s Original Response:

We truly appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.

We would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few points to ensure transparency and mutual understanding.

First, thank you for raising your concerns with the State Board regarding infection control and professional practices. After their investigation, we were reassured that our procedures fully comply with State Board requirements. We take sanitation and safety very seriously. If at any time something seems unclear, we encourage you to ask—we are always happy to explain our process. Making assumptions without complete understanding can lead to unnecessary confusion or miscommunication.

Second, our 7-day warranty policy exists to protect our clients in the event of unexpected issues—such as chipping, lifting, breakage, or product incompatibility—not as a reflection of poor-quality service. We stand behind the work we provide and are happy to address genuine concerns that arise within that timeframe.

If you believe you’re someone who doesn’t normally leave negative reviews, we kindly ask: why not speak up during the service if something made you uncomfortable? And why not contact us immediately when an issue arose afterward?

Our policy is to pause or stop the service immediately if a client feels unhappy or wishes to discontinue. In such cases, we will gladly remove the product and waive any charges. However, once a service is completed, it is difficult to resolve concerns that were not communicated in the moment. To prevent this, our nail techs check in at each step to ensure your satisfaction before continuing.

We’ve had many clients who travel or go on vacation after getting their nails done. If anything unexpected happens within the 7-day warranty period, they simply reach out—and even if it’s a little past the window, we’re still happy to help when they return.

Thank you again for visiting us and for sharing...

I have had my nails done here around three times and have LOVED the quality and designs. I even recommended this place to my bestfriend after prices significantly increased within a month period from $60 to $100 for acrylic with nail art. However, my bestfriend had a horrible experience and so did every other client that day it seemed. Her appointment was for 4pm and she wasn’t taken to a chair to start until 6:30pm. She waited as two nail techs switched client to client and did not finish her nails until 5 HOURS LATER around 9pm. (The nail salon closed at 7pm). When checking out, she was charged over $200 for acrylic nails with nail art and a pedicure. (Which should never be anywhere over $150 for a relatively new business in central Ohio lol). The nail techs offered no discount, no empathy, were rude and irritated with her discomfort in the experience and even told her to not come back unless she can expect to wait at least an hour after her appointment time. ?????? They also encouraged her sarcastically to leave a review, so I figured I would as well! 😘 Beautiful nails, lovely nail art, but HORRIBLE and I mean genuinely the worst treatment and experience. I was so embarrassed considering this was my recommendation for her. 😞 save your time &...