Holly Nails & Spa — Local services in Seattle

I honestly wish I could’ve given this place a good rating, but unfortunately the customer service and quality was just not good.

I came in without an appointment looking for mani pedis with a friend. We understood we didn’t have appointments and asked what they would be able to accommodate and even said we would come back another time/day if they couldn’t do it. They said they’d get started on our toes but could do our nails after. As we were going through nail colors for my mani, they suggested gel x extensions so the nail color I wanted would look better and I said sure, I don’t mind the extra cost for the look I wanted. Pretty soon it started filling up with customers who did have appointments and nail tech was done with my pedicure (which I didn’t feel were the best quality) and was now prepping my hands for the mani (filing nails, cuticle prep, etc). She goes to begin applying a base coat when I stopped her and asked - I thought I was getting gel x extensions as you guys recommended? She looked irritated and said if I wanted gel x I’d have to wait for another lady who does them and that lady has two other acrylic appointments ahead of me. I asked my nail lady how long I’d have to wait and she wasn’t answering the question. Finally someone else came and said the wait would probably be much more than an hour. I was confused and stated that she’s already prepped my hands. Pressed and on the spot I ended up just going with the same jelly nail color but with a regular gel manicure without the extensions. In an effort to get them to look a little better I asked for another coat before she applied the top coat and at first said no and looked annoyed but finally did it after I asked again.

I walked out of there trying to convince myself that it was fine but I just wasn’t happy with it. The next day I called back and asked if they would be able to fix it. The lady gave me an attitude and said they would do a gel x manicure at the full price without any discount. I almost told myself it’s fine, I don’t do this often so it’s ok to spend the money if it means I’m happy with it. In the end I decided against it because I didn’t want to spend more money on a place that was giving me so much attitude.

For reference on price, my gel mani pedi came out to $100 and I left a $15 tip.

Images of what I asked for and what I...

BEWARE — I will never return to this salon.

I truly wanted to like this place. I thought I had found a convenient new spot I could call my go-to—affordable pricing, easy parking, no long waits. But after my recent visit, I understand why they’re always available: the service is subpar, and the customer experience is frankly unacceptable.

I’ve been here once before, and while the experience was just okay—not great, not terrible—it was fine for a quick mani-pedi. This time, however, was an entirely different story.

From the moment I walked in, I was disappointed. The owner (I believe) didn’t acknowledge me at all—no greeting, no smile—yet warmly welcomed an older white woman who entered after me. I had booked an appointment the day before, requesting the same technician I had seen previously (even though I was already put off that she had charged me $10 to patch a small split nail with gel).

During the pedicure, I was trying to relax and catch up on emails when I suddenly felt a sting. I looked down to see blood—my third toe had been cut during a rushed nail trim. The young technician apologized profusely, and while I appreciated her accountability, I stayed only because I had a special event the next day and didn’t have time to go elsewhere. She applied antibiotic ointment, and I let her finish while the owner took over the manicure.

To make matters worse, I had brought my own brand-new bottle of Essie polish and topcoat—something I’ve done at other salons without issue. The owner made a scene, calling over another technician to inspect it and remarking that they’d never heard of the brand. They then continued speaking about it in their own language, clearly discussing me within earshot. It was awkward, unprofessional, and rude.

The final result? A mediocre manicure and pedicure—and a bleeding toe. But perhaps the most telling part of the experience: the owner never once apologized for the injury, never offered a discount or future service credit, not even a kind word or acknowledgement as I paid. She simply stood there waiting for a tip, which I gave—albeit a minimal one—out of courtesy, not satisfaction.

As I walked out, I made a personal promise never to return—and I’m sharing this in hopes it helps others make an informed decision. There are plenty of great nail salons in Seattle. This is just not...

UPDATE: I tried to call but they BLOCKED mine and my mum’s number because we are “very demanding with time”; we just don’t want to wait for hours and lose the whole day off there when we made an appointment in advance. Want to mention that it happened at the same time when they left a comment with apologies and asking to call them. —-

Me and my mum have been going to this place for about a year. They haven’t been great with timing but at least everything else was okay. But I cannot not share this episode.

On Saturday I called and confirmed an appointment with a certain specialist. When I came, he wasn’t there. Nobody called in advance, nobody apologized, they just said that he left because of emergency. They said he’ll be back this Monday.

I had a lot of work on Monday, called on Tuesday, was told that he won’t be back till next Monday. It was upsetting, my nails really really need manicure, I made an appointment with another specialist that I trusted (the owner of the place). I got off work earlier, arrived, she wasn’t there! Nobody called in advance, nobody apologized, said it was an emergency. They even managed to blame me that I didn’t come on Monday, since everyone was there (when I didn’t call and didn’t plan to come).

They absolutely don’t respect other people’s time, they had my phone number to let me know. They also could have at least apologized. Especially, since I’ve been going there for such a long time. This is how you lose long...