Pretty Nails & Spa

Okay so a while back, I totally suspected this was a secret «rub & tug» spa with shady dealings going on in the upstairs. According to WJLA, MoCo just busted a bunch of places in the county for prostitution, and LA Nails & Spa was one of them!
STAY AWAY!
Here’s the link:

This place has closed, but a new nail salon, LA Nail & Spa, is in its place and is very good.

I went to this place with a livingsocial deal. Absolutely the worst experience I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t go back if they paid me. I made an appointment at 11:30. It took over 90 minutes for mani and pedi with 4 people alternating each step, talking on the phone, confused at what was required, taking on new clients all while we are sitting there… The place was cold, furniture old, dirty and felt extremely unhygienic. They were so rough my cuticles were bleeding.

I went here twice — both times because I bought a Living Social deal for a «spa manicure and pedicure.»
Although not a spa experience, the first time I went the technician I had took her time and did a good job shaping and polishing my nails. Since it wasn’t a terrible experience I decided to try it again the next time Living Social offered the same deal.
Based on my second experience, I will not be going back to Pretty Nails & Spa. The man who did my pedicure (Brian) did a terrible job shaping my nails, only used one coat of polish (which he managed to get all over my toes), and didn’t use a top coat. The manicure was ok — but not enough to get over the terrible pedicure.
There were old nail clippings on the arms of the chair I was seated in and the whole place seemed pretty dirty.

I left Pretty Nails feeling amused, but disappointed in my manicure/​pedicure.
But let me start from the beginning. Parking was okay. There’s some street parking and also a large parking garage across the street from the shop. I put enough in the meter for about an hour and 20 minutes, thinking I’d be at least an hour for a manicure and pedicure.
Upon entering the shop, the first thing I noticed was that the place was completely empty save one lady getting a manicure and an older female employee who was sprawled out in the pedicure chair closest to the door. There was no front desk. The shop was a mess. I communicated to the lady that I had a 6:30 appointment and turned my Groupon over to a young woman who walked over. I picked a polish color, and then sat down in one of the pedicure chairs.
Cell phone off, vibrating chair on (okay the chair half-​worked), eyes closed, a (male) employee began my pedicure… I was ready to relax. Alas, it wasn’t to be. Another lady, I believe her name is Lala, came over and started my manicure. Because of the awkward spacing of the chairs, I had to lean over the left side of the chair so Lala could reach my nails. it was the least relaxing manicure/​pedicure I’ve experienced. Also, there were several younger employees in the back literally screaming and laughing at each other the whole time. It was kind of funny at first, but then sort of ridiculous. The whole experience felt very cursory (I was done within 30 minutes) and very un-​relaxing.
That being said, the employees were very nice. Actually, Lala was almost over-​attentive, practically dressing me as you would a child when it was time for me to leave. I’m not kidding… She put my socks and shoes on for me. And I wasn’t wearing slip ons. These were chucks and yes, she did tie them with a double knot, haha. Sweet, but a little awkward. I liked Lala, but I won’t be going back to Pretty Nails. I can get better, more enjoyable and less awkward manicures and pedicures elsewhere.

Ok– its obvious the Groupon people hated this place but its not that bad. You have to wait to be served (dont go in if you’re rushed for time) and the ambiance is dirty, cluttered and unprofessional. However, Eina who did my nails and Cindy who was nearby were meticulous and pleasant. My nails were filed to perfection, she suggested colors for me and she got every teeny scrap of skin, cuticle etc within an inch of my life. I also liked the exfoliating scrub and then the clay mask rubbed on your calves then wrapped in hot towels. I also got great calf/​foot/​hand/​forearm massages. For the $ 25 groupon this spa mani/​pedi was more than adequate but for full price go elsewhere.

Purchased a Living Social deal for a Spa Manicure and Pedicure. Silly me… I usually read the Unilocal reviews but I didn’t this time. As others have said, the salon wasn’t particularly clean and yes, I was the only one there when I arrived (although others arrived during my visit). Inexplicably, there are unused salon chairs shoved up against the wall, right in the front of the shop, making the place look like a warehouse.
Despite my being the only one there, I was doubled up; Cindy did my pedicure while a man did my manicure. He didn’t sit down and he didn’t wait for the pedicure to end, thus I was moving my legs and he wasn’t stabilized. What I ended up with is a pretty decent pedicure and a crappy manicure. Seriously, the manicure is worse than the ones I give myself.
No way I’ll go back.

Everything written about this place is true! I had a Living Social mani/​pedi coupon and decided to try it since I couldn’t get a refund.
I made sure to get Cindy and not leave my nails up to one of the other technicians. She was good, not great. Did several hot towel treatments which I greatly enjoyed, but the paint job wasn’t stellar.
The salon was dirty and I was the only person in there, not a good sign. The paint selection was wide, but I made sure to get a new-​looking OPI color so they didn’t have to pry open the bottle (like some other reviewers experienced). I would definitely not have gone to this place if it weren’t for the Living Social coupon. They charge $ 60 for a «spa» mani/​pedi which is basically a mani/​pedi with towel treatments. Not worth it especially when the paint job comes out just better than if I had done it myself.
This place is definitely a rub and tug/​happy ending place. Multiple older men walked in and out of the salon. None of them spoke to any of the technicians, just a quick nod and they went into a back room. This was almost laughable for me since it was so obvious.
Overall, you get a good paint job if you go to Cindy, but you can definitely find better places for a lower price.

three words DO NOT GO. One star because I love my nail polish color. Anyway I was looking for Bethesda Nails and because it was cold and I was tired of walking I stopped in here. MISTAKE. Kim did my nails and he had this tremor, when he was done with my shillac nails it looked like my one year old nephew had painted them, and then he tried to charge me full price!!! THE NERVE!!!
I should have known something was up when I entered being the only customer on a Friday at three.
The establishment is cold, furniture chipping away and outdated. I was not comfortable at all and couldn’t wait to leave. POOR AMBIENCE.
enter at your own risk… proceed with caution

My friends and I went here after purchasing the Mani/​Pedi groupon with «Reflexology.» After our horrid experience we swore never to come back… even if it were FREE!
Our red flag should have been at the start when the woman had to use an all-​too-​quickly-​available wrench to open the dried out nail polish bottles. We got into the outdated pedi chairs with the water running cold. Forget sterilized tools, they barely even cleaned their scrubbing brushes! I asked for no cuticle cutting (dodged a bacteria infection there) and no razors (my «first» nail «artists’ later admittedly she couldn’t see very well)!
Oh yes, my «first» nail artist was only one of 4. Every time a new customer walked in the door I seemed to get ditched for the new one. And regardless of the fact that my now pruning toes were soaked for over 20 minutes in a dirtied water bath, every new client was given a 10-​minute time frame… yea right.
The fact that my nail artists kept changing was annoying in itself however what really drove me up the wall was that they kept forgetting what they had already done! I must’ve had my toes filed 3 times and no matter how many times I tried to tell them «the last person already did that» they didn’t listen/​understand! And on top of that, I didn’t even get the mask hot towel treatment that my friends got, despite asking multiple times. 30 minutes later I have more nail polish on my cuticles than on my actual nails…
But I’m not done. I still have a manicure. On comes woman number 4 and while she pushes the two girls she’d previously been working on out of their chair to take me on, I’m now sitting on some other womans coat at a collapsible table with my fingers in a bowl of cold water. The woman was doing such an absolute TERRIBLE job that I literally couldn’t help but laugh. Half of my nails didn’t have polish on the sides, she only did two coats on some nails and not others, and my nails weren’t even filed evenly.
We ditched the place feeling duped. Groupon or not, a single penny spent at this salon is a waste of hard earned money…

This place is terrible. My friends and I bought a Groupon Deal for a Spa Mani/​Pedi with Reflexology. I would bet money, that they do not even know what Reflexology is. Seriously.
It looked like a glorified basement with old, musty magazines, card tables (set up as nail stations), and dingy furniture.
The nail polishes were OLD and the woman had to use pliers to open the bottle. RED FLAG! We should have just left at that point…
It was basically an assembly line of nail technicians moving from client to client for the longest hour of my life. One of my friends had no less than 4 technicians that performed her pedicure and manicure… each of them repeating a step that the previous already did (or skipping things altogether). The paint job was overall sloppy and I ended up just taking off the color the next day out of sheer embarrassment. It looked like I painted my own nails… with my left hand.
My friend said it best when she turned around during her manicure and said I would never come back here… Even if it were free. NEVER again.

I usually don’t like writing bad reviews but this place is seriously not good. I made an appointment with Cindy at 1130 on a Saturday with the people at the place. I went to my appointment on time and turns out Cindy isn’t working until 1230. Okay…
I used my groupon and Lan did my mani and pedi. She did an okay job on the pedi but seriously RUSHED on the mani to the point that some nails on the side weren’t even cover with polish!!! She also used scolding hot towel on my legs that made my skin turn red!!!
I’m definitely never going there again — groupon or not.

Oh Groupon, how you have failed me. First off, the Groupon was not worth the price they charged.
The nail salon isn’t really a salon. It’s a basement with folding tables and chairs set up as the nail stations. And the pedicure chairs are very outdated.
The quality of the mani/​pedi was good as far as the painting goes. But the mud mask and scrubs were pathetic. Like I said, the Groupon was a rip off.
I will not be going back. There are so many better mani/​pedi places in this city!

I was pretty anxious coming into this place after reading all the reviews. As much as I like Groupon, I should definitely check before regretting buying 3 vouchers. After all, you’re supposed to feel relaxed when getting your nails done, not apprehensive.
Based on all that I’ve read about this place, I was expecting some dinky hole in the wall but this was not the case. It’s a pretty big place with two front doors (one for a massage parlor in the back, but I won’t go into that). They could use some tidying up and not duct tape the prices onto the walls, but otherwise not horrible.
I made my appointment with Cindy at around 2 on a Saturday afternoon and was happy to hear that she was available for both my mom and I at 4. We waited a bit for Cindy to finish her previous appointment and was seated on one of the spa chairs. I had asked for a French pedi and no manicure, while my mom got the spa mani and pedi. I was very happy with the results of my pedi, and Cindy is definitely a safe bet for your money. She takes her time and is very detailed with her work. She also explains what the exfoliator and the mask does while she applies it. I came in a skeptic but left as a happy customer.
Previous reviews mentioned that the spa mani and pedi originally costs $ 45 but it seems that they have upped it to $ 60. Not sure that I’d want to pay $ 60 for this but if you do, ask for Cindy!

This place is repulsive. I went here on a whim with my friend for a mani pedi because it was less expensive then Sandy’s and Nail Designs.
First of all, and go inside and see no receptionist area, just a table full of old disgusting magazines. The place was completely empty except for the three employees working there.
Their nail polish selection is disgusting and old. It included Wet and Wild nailpolish which should have been a sign to leave immediately.
Then during my manicure the manicurist made my fingers BLEED. In the middle of my pedicure the women walked away and went outside to smoke a cigarette. Then came back without washing her hands to finish my pedicure. I was horrified.
To make matters worse, during my manicure a random unattractive middle aged man walked in. Then without saying a word one of the Asain women working there smiled at him and quickly ushered him into one of the back rooms. It was VERY creepy and odd. I quickly paid and got out of their asap. My friend was equally creeped out by the experience.
All in all, DO NOT GO HERE.

I have to agree with other reviewers. This was one of the worst mani-pedi’s I have had in a while. It was supposed to be a spa treatment — hardly.
The place is a mess, not relaxing to be in. I had the man (Kim). He also did not clean the exfoliant from between my toes, and I had to keep asking him to fix my polish. On top of the fact that he walked away mid-​pedicure multiple times to do other stuff in the salon.
The manicure was worse. The guy was so distracted the whole time with what was going on in the salon, he was barely looking at my nails. My nails were not shaped nicely or evenly. and the polish job was awful. I actually went home and removed the polish and the manicure looked better that way.
We shall see how long the pedicure lasts, but next time I will go back to my old standard in Bethesda — Tips to Toes on Woodmont.

I have to give Pretty Nails some credit.
I came to the salon extremely skeptical after all of the terrible Unilocal reviews. I thought my Groupon would go to waste. My appointment was at 11am, and I made sure to make it with Cindy. The interior and exterior of the salon looks rather run-​down.
Cindy was wonderful! She has almost 18 years of experience was friendly, chatty, and precise. I paid an extra $ 5 for her to do a French manicure instead of a regular one. My hands and feet came out looking neat and pretty. She took her time and I was in the salon for about an hour and fifteen minutes — I appreciated her attention to detail and amicability.
Those of you using the Groupon — make sure to schedule your appointment with her. There were several calls that came in during my visit asking for Cindy, so if possible, schedule early in the morning to ensure your appointment. $ 25 is a fair price, but I don’t think I would return for a $ 45 spa manicure/​pedicure.
Tip: there’s a convenient public parking garage right across the street that accepts quarters. Also, if you have the Groupon & AT&T as your carrier, make sure to have your coupon ready on your phone BEFORE you enter the salon. I had terrible service in there and had to ask my sister to pull it up for me outside.

Groupon really screwed me on this one, much like many of the other reviewers on here. Pretty Nails was certainly not equipped to handle the traffic that a Groupon delivers, and their service and reputation has suffered for it.
Upon entry in the salon, there was no reception area and no one greeted me. I seated myself at a table in the middle of the salon stacked with magazines and an array of paperwork — first red flag. Finally a man (the owner, I guess) came over, took my Groupon and asked me to sign in, then went back to work on his customer.
About 5 minutes later, a woman (named Lan — AVOID) pointed me to the polish wall and a massage chair. After I sat down, she repeatedly asked me for the Groupon and I kept explaining that the man had taken it. She told me she wouldn’t even work on me unless she had a Groupon, excuse me? Red flag number two.
She didn’t speak to me during the whole pedicure, but she did a decent job, so I guess I can’t really complain. I was just uncomfortable. Actually, almost none of the employees were speaking to the customers. She had me put my flipflops back on and shuffle over to her nail station, and this is where things really took a turn for the worst for me. She filed my nails straight (most places ask if you want rounded or square nails) and the corners were sharp. Some of the nails were uneven, filed on a diagonal! She barely buffed my nails, so my manicure has some nails looking smooth and others ridged. Polish application was pretty sloppy, which she later «fixed» with a paint brush dipped in nail polish remover. While she was doing the top coat, she asked if I wanted my eyebrows waxed, I politely said no, and she replied «well, you need it.» Excuse me? I saw that hers were clearly drawn on, and I wasn’t about to have mine look the same way. Talk about rude… Red flags 3 – 100. In the end my manicure had bubbles in the topcoat and there were gaps around my nail bed.
I’m glad that I only paid $ 25 for this with the Groupon, but honestly, I would sooner just forget this whole experience. Do Not Go Here.

Overall 2.5 stars + .5 star for Cindy
Having read about all the horrible Groupon experiences, I devised a strategy to try to avoid wasting my $ 25. Therefore, as much as I despise being up before noon, I arrived at Pretty Nails at 10 a.m. since I assumed that was their opening time (the sign actually says 9 a.m.). The salon isn’t exactly dirty but it’s kind of rundown. Based on the single positive review, I asked for Cindy. Cindy told me she had no time and that I should make an appointment and come back another time. I swear I usually don’t act like a bitch but I plainly told her no, I couldn’t come back so she said she would do my pedi but if she ran out of time someone else would do my mani. I agreed to this since I was determined to avoid being stuck with «The Man» of previous bad reviews.
I have to say Cindy was very pleasant and efficient. Even though she had an appointment coming, she did not rush my pedicure at all. She explained the different steps, like when she used the exfoliating scrub and a blue mask on my legs. I also appreciate that she asked if I wanted her to use the razor since not everyone likes that. The foot massage lasted maybe 60 seconds but it was a very good 60 seconds.
As it turned out, Cindy did my mani as well. She was friendly and chatty the whole time. She asked how I wanted my nails shaped and what length and called me honey. The paint jobs on my hands and feet look good.
I can honestly say I didn’t have a horrible experience like everyone else seems to have had. This isn’t the fanciest salon and doesn’t come close to my usual salon but it’s definitely not the worst nail experience I’ve had. The mani + pedi certainly wasn’t worth the $ 45 that’s supposedly the regular price but for $ 25 it’s a fair deal.

Sorry Pretty Nails, but I won’t be back. To all the others who purchased the Groupon, the gentleman who works there can’t do manicures or pedicures.
I called yesterday to make an appointment with Cindy as the last Unilocaler suggested, but wasn’t fortunate enough to get her. When I arrived I said I had an appointment with Cindy and a man came over to help me. He got things started and I thought he was just getting things ready for Cindy. However, I realized he was settling in to do my nails. I asked him if Cindy wasn’t there since I had made an appointment with her and he said she was over there — she had started working on the person who came in behind me.
I supposed I should have insisted to have her, but I didn’t know how bad this guy was going to be. First of all after the pedicure I asked him to fix a nail since there was a portion without polish — he said he would after and when he «fixed» it he just filed off the portion without polish! I also had to ask him to fix spots on my nails. When I got home to inspect and fix things I realized he didn’t even clean under my toenails!!!
I wish I had saved my money and done it myself, it would have come out better.