Honey Nail Salon — Local services in New York

After being a loyal customer at Honey Nails for several years, I’m saddened to say I will no longer be returning. During a previous visit, I paid around $180 for a UV gel manicure and a scrub pedicure. After paying, I was asked loudly in front of a crowded salon, “Is that all you’re tipping?” ( I tipped about $10-$15) a moment that left me embarrassed and uncomfortable.

When I expressed confusion, Honey, who manages the salon, told me she tries to pay the technicians more but can’t, and that I should be tipping more. That conversation made me uncomfortable because I’ve always understood tipping to be a way of showing appreciation for great service not a requirement imposed by the business due to their refusal to pay staff adequately. Being pressured like that, especially after such a high-priced service, felt inappropriate and unprofessional.

My most recent visit, where I paid $150 for a fill-in and a regular pedicure, was the final straw. I was already being charged an additional $20 for a French tip design. After showing a reference photo of how I wanted the tips done, I was told it would cost another $10 something that seems to happen often when clients bring in inspiration photos. When I politely asked the technician to adjust the design slightly, she said “no French tip” and removed the design altogether, even though I had agreed to pay the extra cost.

Despite everything, I still left an optional tip, which was not acknowledged or even met with a thank you. The overall tone when leaving the appointment was cold and dismissive.

I genuinely value going to the same places and having consistency in the people who provide my services. It creates a sense of trust and reliability that makes self-care feel restorative rather than stressful. That’s why it’s so disappointing to feel increasingly disrespected at a place I returned to for years.

As someone who values supporting small businesses, it’s disheartening to feel consistently mistreated. Over time, I’ve often left wondering whether the lack of care and professionalism I experienced was racially motivated.

It’s a shame, because the technicians are genuinely talented. But no amount of skill can outweigh being made to feel unwelcome, unappreciated, and disrespected. I can no longer support a business that doesn’t value its customers

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The two star rating isn't from the service it's for the price. My total was $146.30 with a 20% tip which charged my card $30.31 in a separate, 2nd transaction because I was told they only do "cash tips". My $146.30 consisted of gel polish pedicure and manicure, which have got to be the most expensive mani/ pedi I've ever had in my life! What I don't appreciate is the fact that you're just told the total balance without a bill or itemized list of what service cost what. The entire visit was quite different from my normal experience at a nail salon in TX. They never once offer me a drink (not sure if this is normal in NY or not). The chairs are not recliners with massaging capabilities and a foot tub to fill. It was more like a booth seating with a sink...yes, literally a sink on the floor. There isn't much conversing among the nail techs and the customers like there is in Houston, TX. In the South, customers will be sharing their life stories, cracking jokes, getting to know each other better with a glass of wine... you know build rapport. Here, everyone is so quiet. I tried to start a conversation with my nail tech by saying, "So I'm visiting from Texas, what are some great places to eat around here? ". She said, "I don't know." and carried on lol Idk if there's a language barrier or if she just preferred not to talk to me but I let it be. She worked very well. It wasn't a rushed job at all, she took her time and did a great job with both the mani & pedi. But would I go back and do it again? No. Would I recommend this place to a dear friend? No. It's definitely not worth over $176.... the cushion for my wrist had nail particles from buffing as well as oil on it from a previous customer. I asked her to wipe it down, you know what she did? Instead of sanitizing it, she slapped a sheet of paper on it- you know the one that looks like parchment paper and called...

Very disappointed in the service I got. I’ve been going here for 2+ years and although it is pricey, the service and professionalism made it worth it to me. However, I notice when Sally (the owner) isn’t on site, the technicians behave differently and service and professionalism drops. I went to get my two thumb nails re-done because they both broke in the corner. The young lady at the front desk called me by the wrong name. No biggy, but remembering a regular clients name is usually their thing. So not a great start.

My technician was unprofessional and didn’t want to listen to me at all. I told her I wanted both of my thumb nails redone and for her to apply glue so it wouldn’t break further. She said “I think you’re being too picky, your nails are fine.” Then proceeded to just apply two extra coats of nail polish on each thumb and called it a day. She didn’t even take off the old paint or apply glue. I said to her “my nails are BROKEN, two coats isn’t going to fix that. I need glue. Aren’t they just going to re-break?” She said “yea probably” and laughed. I got so annoyed and just left. Beyond unprofessional. It was clear she was just being lazy and didn’t want to do it. To top it off it was a slow morning and there wasn’t even a lot of clients for her to be rushing me out like that. This wouldn’t happen if Sally was there I’m sure. Sally is a gem, but some of her staff definitely needs some training on client etiquette. This was not my first unprofessional experience here. And it only happens when Sally isn’t there. This used to be my go-to nail spot but sadly I’ve noticed the service and professionalism have gone down a lot this year. You expect a better experience when you’re paying 50+ for a gel manicure. Very disappointed. I’ll now have to think about taking my...