Modern Spa — Local services in New York

I was in the area and decided to pass by and greet my previous nail lady “Leslie” who due to establishment where we had met had to relocate. As soon as I entered I asked for her I was told that she would be right back and if I wanted to do my nails. I had no intention of getting my nails done but was with my daughter and niece who both did. I advised that’s i wasn’t interested but that one of the children would get a manicure and the other would be getting a pedicure. She spent 10 minutes trying to convince them both to get a manicure and pedicure but they both were set on their decision. My daughter 6, who attends a private school is not allowed to wear nail polish on fingernails - so she always prefers a pedicure and my niece 9, who loves playing basketball says her pedicure always gets messed up - so prefers the manicure only. We spent a total 1 hour 45 minutes there and no Leslie in site...which was initial reason to pass by. I ask another worker for “Leslie” and her response was “who?”. I then figured that Leslie either did not work here anymore or that she was off for the day so I left that alone.

So now it’s time to pay and can you believe that I was charged $72 dollars for a manicure & pedicure. Now I had come here before and I myself “An adult” only paid $60 for this combination with gel nail polish, so of course I questioned it. Apparently they charged extra because the girls each picked two colors to have their nails painted and both wanted Massages that I apparently had to pay for. I was charged $30 for a child pedicure and $22 for a child manicure and $20 for 2 massages that they should have asked me about before performing.

She hands me back my card I sign and walk away...I was then summoned for a tip. I told her that I have never paid so much money for a child service at any salon and since they abused the situation that I was not leaving a tip.

She then mumbled something in her language to another and I quickly shut her up advising her that I paid because the service was provided but that we both know that they were wrong advising her that if she kept talking I’d have the police come over and order them to right a report and order her to issue me a reimbursement.

There are other nail salons in the area with better prices and excellent customer service. Give them the business. Customer service means nothing to this establishment.

I will never be going here again, nor will I ever recommend this Nail Salon to...

Update: I have the ring of fire on all of my nails due to improper use of e-file. I only had gel on my nail so using the electric file was uncalled for. My nails all broke within a week due to extreme bending. Couldn’t even wash my hair without my nails bending. The amount of 5 star reviews in such a short amount of time is concerning and they must be offering discount for good reviews.

I’ve been to Modern Spa several times now, hoping the experience would get better, but unfortunately, it’s only gotten worse. I spent $115 on a gel manicure and pedicure, and just two days later, my pedicure was already chipping. This is the second time this has happened, so it’s clearly not a one-off mistake, their products are low quality and don’t last. Not to mention there is literally a finger print on my big toe.

I asked for matching hands and feet, but two nails into my manicure, the tech noticed the polish she was using was running out. Instead of letting me know or offering options, she just switched the color completely without saying anything. Obviously I assumed it was the same bottle but nope. So now I have mismatched nails (orange toned vs burgundy) which completely defeats the purpose of booking both services together.

I came in with long, natural nails and the tech even asked if they were gel extensions. I told her no, said I wanted to keep the length, keep the almond shape and just even them out. She cut them into a square... I had to remind her again that I wanted almond, so she reshaped them, but I left with nails far shorter than what I came in with and wanted, plus they’re all inconsistently shaped and uneven.

When I called to share my concerns, I explained that I had a wedding out of town and wouldn’t be able to come back in. Their only solution? “Come in and we’ll redo them.” No apology, no offer of a partial refund, nothing. I asked what the difference would be between redoing the service and simply reimbursing me, and all I got was the same robotic response: “Just come in.”

I’ve seen multiple technicians here and the quality is consistently subpar. They rarely speak to you during the service until it’s time to ask for a tip.

$115 for chipped toes, uneven nails, and no accountability is unacceptable. Save your money and go somewhere else. The positive reviews do not...

I've been coming here on and off for years, and I've learned a few things about this place in this time. For one, they own the salon next door, which i believe was their first spot. They seperate their employees between the two spots based on apearance and age. The "younger, prettier" employees work here at Modern Spa, the cleaner, bigger spot, with more customers, and the "older, less atractive" employees work in the other spot, which is smaller, with fewer customers. How they decide who is who, i do not know. But i know some women who used to work here, and they have shared some horror stories. Now this is the reality of just about every nail salon in the country. Working conditions in these places are abhorent. It's an awful business, but i guess i wanted to believe that this spot i had been coming to for so long was different. They do not supply employees with unlimited gloves, employees reuse gloves until they are worn through as a result. I'm all for reusing things, but for their own safety, employees need access to more glove, and shouldn't have to bring their own... in other words buy their own for their own safety.

My most recent experience was terrible. There was an argument between two employees, so bad that the manager intervened and appeared to have fired one of them. The atmosphere was so tense that the woman doing my pedicure was shaking. She could barely keep her hand stady, and nicked me a few times. I did not blame her. I could understand why she was so nervous. Then i wanted a french manicure. I was prepared to pay the extra $10 since this technically is "nail art" but they wanted to charge me $20 extra! When i asked why instead of the usual $10, they explained it was because i wanted my nail tips in black instead of the traditional white. I said that doesn't make sense, it's the same amount of work and the same amount of polish. And they have plenty polish in black and in white specifically for this purpose. They couldn't explain. So i got one solid color instead. Do yourself a favor and look for independant nail artists who work in NYC. Many can be found on IG now adays. It's worth it to know the person working on your nails is working under their own safe conditions and getting all the proceeds...