Subject: Unacceptable Service Standards and Operational Failures 21 Aug 2026 Dear Metropolitan Spa and Salon Management, I am writing to formally outline the extremely poor level of service and lack of basic hospitality I experienced during my recent appointment at your salon. As someone who oversees business operations across both the US and Australian markets, I know firsthand that premium pricing must be matched by a cohesive, high-standard customer experience. My visit demonstrated a complete failure on this front, characterized by a disjointed assembly-line process and an unprofessional staff. Here are some of the issues from my appointment: * Unjustified Pricing for Junior Staff: I was charged $177 solely for a root color and gloss, performed by an assistant. Charging a premium rate for a junior talent's chemical service--without even including a basic finishing service--is a remarkably poor value. * Unprofessional Conduct: When my hair was washed, I was left with wet hair Sitting in the chair waiting for some to dry my hair. Note I was not booked for a blow out or a styling and was not expecting to be given a blow dry or blow out. But I was also not expecting to be told wet hair just towel dabbed is the end of the servic without the rough dry. in fact I have never asked to be given a rough dry after a color service. Somehow AT AGE 53 with 35 years of coloring my hair in salons of all grades in 5 countries such as UK, Australia, India, PakiStan and the US, this was the first for me. Upon asking about a basic rough dry, I was informed it was simply not included and blow drying of hair (not blowout) is an extra charge and explicitly told that if I wanted a rough dry, I should do it myself. Directing a paying client to finish their own service is completely unacceptable. * Operational Disconnect: After I was eventually offered a "complimentary" dry, I was passed off to a third stylist. The person washing my hair had explicitly set aside a drying prep product for me, which the third stylist completely ignored. This lack of internal communication defeats the purpose of high-end, personalized care. * Lack of Basic Hospitality: At a premium price point, standard hospitality dictates offering a beverage menu (coffee, tea, etc.) for a lengthy chemical service. While a glass of water was brought to me, the bare minimum effort was evident throughout my entire time in the chair. I have received salon services in multiple countries, and I have never encountered a business model where a client is nearly sent out the door with wet, unkempt hair. Your salon appears to be relying on its Princeton zip code rather than delivering actual luxury service. Letting clients leave your establishment looking unfinished--and treating them as an inconvenience when they expect basic professional courtesy--is a rapid way to damage your brand's reputation and client retention. I am sharing this so you are fully aware of the substandard environment currently operating on your floor. This is a genuine experience from a person who should not have been allowed to leave as they did and paying $177, in a "luxury" salon. I will not be returning to this salon. I am not someone who wants anything for free or "complimentary" such as rough dry hair Especially in a luxury high end salon. read more

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I've been coming to this spa several times a year for over 20 years. The spa staff was friendly and gracious but the spa itself needs work. The shower stall had no shampoo, body wash or conditioner. There are two lights over the vanity and one is out. Many of the amenities like hair ties and shower caps are no more. I could always justify the prices because of the services and spa environment. Super disappointed this time. read more

At Metropolis Salon, Lily delivers hair with intention and polish. From flawless color to beautifully executed cuts and blow-dries, Brazilian keratin treatments,and more. Her work reflects a rare blend of technical mastery and instinctive taste. The salon's refined yet welcoming atmosphere completes the experience, making Metropolis an essential address in Princeton's style scene. read more

Enjoyed my first time here! Friendly staff, beverages offered. My hairstylist, Nicole, was amazing. She had a lot of work cut out for her, since I hadn't been to a hair dresser in many years. My hair was dry, brittle and needed love. She turned me into a whole other woman by the time I left. My hair is happy and feels and looks amazing. I will return. Thank you read more

Booked a hot stone massage because I received a gift card. I was in the parking lot a few minutes before my appointment time, but since the location hours online stated a 9am opening time, I called to see if I could come in early to get into a robe as is standard. No answer on the phone so I arrived at 9am. The masseuse scolded me for being late and said it would cut into my massage time to change. Whatever. I changed as quickly as I could so maybe lost 2-3 minutes. Well, they certainly didn't use the extra time to prepare for me, because the hot stones were not hot at all. They were also barely used during the massage. And she was SO. SO. ROUGH on me. I have had many massages before, and this one will always stand out as being way too rough, barely any use of hot stones, and all around just weird vibes from start to finish. I had a gift card and I didn't know how much was on it. Couldn't get a straight answer from the front desk. Won't return. read more

This was my first time at this salon. My experience from the time I entered the salon the staff was professional, welcoming very attentive. My hair stylist Saida was amazing from her consult to hair coloring, cut I was very pleased with the end result my hair looked great! read more

I have gotten the Brazilian blow out for many years twice a year. It completely ruined my hair. All my ends fried off and I have to start fresh. They shouldn't be selling this at their salon. It's dangerous and unhealthy. Just warning others! read more

I FOUND STEPHANIE DECAVALCANTE!!!! She IS close by and went out on her own!!!! If you've enjoyed her service and treatment over the years, have only gone to this salon because of her, you should all have the right to know where she went. You're the client and should be able to have WHO YOU WANT AND TRUST. She is absolutely amazing!!! https://www.solasalonstudios.com/salon-professional/stephanie-decavalcante1 Go surprise her!!! She's a truly genuine individual, great at what she does and deserves to be successful and happy!!! read more

This was my second time getting a facial from Reina, and it did not disappoint. Very professional and knowledgeable about the skin and body. My skin feels bright, fresh, and rejuvenated. Reina complimented the service with a hot stone neck massage. I will certainly be back to see her. read more

Expensive! The website is currently Not accurate and unavailable. Beware prices are 20% more than other salons in the area. read more

Extremely rude front desk staff. "Hi I need a gift for my parents. Do you have a couples type thing that would be good?" "Well what do you want?" -Is this real life? I ask you what you have and you ask me what I want. Since I don't know what I want or what you have, why don't you try and sell something to me. You know, do your job? "Well I dunno, like a massage I guess?" Woman provides no details or explanation, just rights down a number and tells me to fill out a sheet. Really? There are plenty of spas in the area where I won't be treated like dirt when I'm looking to drop $200+ on a gift. read more

SPA changes. Been using the spa for years, but more recently there have been some changes...I've noticed no more fruit or the granola they used to provide to customers, the showers no longer have shampoo, conditioner or soap (the teak benches were removed) & I didn't try to shower to see if they still run water but overall not as inviting as it used to be. read more

I gave myself a middle-of-the-week Birthday present by having a facial at Metropolis. Brinley was my Esthetician. I've traveled extensively, and experienced all manner of facials. I've never had one as good as the one given by Brinley. The facility is pretty and pristine clean. The staff is lovely. read more

Holly took plenty of time to listen to my concerns and problems about my hair, she looked at all my many pictures and then we talked about a plan to cut and style my hair. I am really happy with the results. My hair looks great and it is easy to style. Can't wait for my next appointment for color. The salon is beautiful and COVID precautions and protocols and followed. read more

i Had a worst service yesterday don't know why it was not the same. They charge so much money for hair color n get the service from person who is under training or not at all professional very disappointed read more

Julia is the best at metropolis, ask for her.. I've been all over & trust me you won't be disappointed. A little expensive but she's well worth it.. read more

Thank Metropolis Spa and salon has always had excellent service and staff. During Covid re-opening they have taken every possible precaution to ensure the safety of their clients and staff. The quality of their services have not changed. To compensate for a lower daily capacity, they have opened on Sundays. I do not hesitate to go there for manicures pedicures and a variety of other services. read more

I first came to Metropolis in 2012 for a group spa day after a friend highly recommended it. My experience was good then so I booked two massages and a mani/ pedi for myself and a friend for much needed R&R. We took half a day off from work to go (we do not live around Princeton) and were very excited about our afternoon. I arrived at Metropolis first and was greeted by a man who told me the manicurist called out sick so we wouldn't be able to get our manicure and pedicure. My first question was "why didn't anyone call to tell us this?" Had we known early in the day, perhaps we could have changed the appointments to another day but that wasn't an option now. The man claimed the spa did not have any contact information which is ridiculous b/c the owner, Evan, called me when I was trying to make the appointments. I'm not sure where the disconnect occurred but we were not happy campers having taken vacation time for an afternoon at the spa to only find out half of our appointments were cancelled. We were quickly greeted by the day manager, Jessica, who did EVERYTHING in her power to improve the situation. First, she owned the mistake on behalf of the spa and acknowledged that someone had screwed up. Kudos to her for that b/c a lot of places (and people!) would play the blame game. She escorted us to the lounge area and where we were given complementary foot soaks and hot neck compresses. Our massage appointments were back to back which meant someone was waiting an hour for the other person to finish up. Jessica gave us an iPad to help pass the time and an additional foot soak and neck compress so we could continue our relaxation. She frequently checked on us to make sure we were comfortable and then discounted our massages to make up for the lack of a manicure and pedicure. We even got little goodie bags filled with fun products! The massage was wonderful (we highly recommend Deanne) and I cannot say enough good things about Jessica! Her professionalism and effort to improve things impressed us and will definitely bring us back. We both felt our patronage was valued. read more

I made an appointment at Metropolis Spa in Princeton a week ago. I wanted to see if I could get a keratin treatment. the appt. was confirm at 2:45 (Saturday) with a hairstylist name Lily. I called to confirm my appointment that Saturday. The girl told me the hairstylist has an emregency, and can't do it. so, i said to her "no one called me. someone told her that my voicemail was full. I woul not recommend this salon to anyone because they have no etiquette and respect for new client. read more

I tried this spa just about a month ago for a mani/pedi before I went on vacation. I heard great things about this place, so I went in with high hopes. I was disappointed. The price was the same as the girl I normally go to, $85 for a mani/pedi, and I am willing to pay the price for a great service and I'll tip well. However, the mani was no better, maybe worse, than a mall salon. I had to keep telling the technician how to fix my nails because both sides of all nails were missing polish, I don't know if she couldn't see correctly or what was going on, but if you are a nail tech at an upscale salon for this price you should know how to fill in all of the nail and not just the middles. I was there for 2.5 hours requesting fixes. I use the same polish where I normally go and it stays on for a solid 10 days but literally a day and two days later, this nail job was flaking off and peeling and I had to go purchase an $11 +tax long wearing top coat to touch it up myself all over my vacation. I gave 2 stars because they fixed my nails as I requested, but it's never the same when it's touched up and they just did a bad job overall. I would not go back here for my nails for this price, go to a cheap salon then. The pedicure was decent, she did a much better job on that. read more

I wanted to do something special for a friend, so, what's better than a gift certificate for the local hair and spa center?! This idea was well received, she was so excited! It was cool to see her happy to receive a out of the blue gift. Now, in concept, this was awesome and I had just scored a touch down... but the horror at her experience! These people destroyed her hair and charged hidden fees to do it! She was extremely unhappy at the experience and cried when she got home. It wasn't till later that I found out they had given her two treatments she didn't know about and billed her more than double the amount and that she had to pay out of pocket. I don't know about you, but, can you image telling someone your service was $40 and then charging them $90 at checkout? "Oh, she didn't tell you those were extra, well they were..." This place seems to have a track record, stay away or at very least make sure you're paying for the service you asked and were quoted. read more

I've been a loyal customer at Metropolis for six years, largely because the stylist who cuts my hair does a fine job and is a sweet person. Overall, though, the place feels poorly and indifferently managed. The greeting at the front desk when you arrive can be surly. But today I break my neck to get to my appointment on time. They check me in, I put on a smock to get washed before getting a cut. And then they tell me that my stylist is running 40 minutes behind. They couldn't have called?? I'm done with this place. read more

It's all about the stylist you have and Silva is truly a gifted artist. Technical, creative and a lot of fun to spend time with to ice the cake. I have very difficult curly frizzy hair and she has not only given me the best cuts in my life (and I don't give out compliments at 50 that easily) but the products and instructions on how to manage and style my hair has been perfect. I can't say enough abbot how god Silva is. The salon and the staff are very nice as well. Friendly, clean and great product lines. read more

First of all, if you are new to the salon, there is no info about their staff on their website. No names. Second, they charge the same for a kid's haircut, woman's haircut, and man's haircut. Weird that they do not have different prices. Website says $45 and up for men, when I called I was told they do not have different prices for men/boys vs women. Expect to pay $100 or more for a kid's haircut, depending on how skilled the stylist is. The cheapest haircut with a junior stylist goes for $65. Go figure! read more

Meh. I've experienced better. All the stylist that I used either left Metropolis or set up their own salons. Frankly, it is very hard to find a good stylist and I do not want to be a guinea pig as I was butchered recently a lot around Princeton high end establishments. I dropped several stylists at Metropolis who charged for 45 minutes or one hour cut, but actually spent about 15 minutes. read more

Decent service but very overpriced. The last time I was there I paid $400 for a wash, cut, color, and highlights. The process took 4 hours, too. Yesterday, a good friend of mine got her regular $90 haircut there and her stylist (same guy she always has) cut her hair so crookedly that she now has to go back to have it fixed. It's definitely possible to get equivalent service for about half the price. read more

To this day, the best massage experiences I've ever had (and I've gotten massages in several places since). What really sets Metropolis Spa apart from the rest is the incredibly comfortable, inviting and relaxing atmosphere once you're in the massage area. There is plenty of room to sit, sip tea and relax. There's a separate locker space to put your clothes and also to take a shower. I wish more places had this approach to massages, after all, it's about the experience as a whole, not just the massage itself that matters. read more

Jade is gone but I went there regardless because I had a credit.... I have to say the cut was a 2 star, nothing special. I really wish I would've gotten Jade's information before she left. read more

Extremely disappointed in my eyebrow wax service today. It doesn't even look like my brows were shaped. Wasted $23 to get nothing. I will not be going back for any of my normal services. read more

What a nice change! I found someone who actually hears what I want. I'm very happy with my highlights and cut. Expensive but so worth it!

I don't come to Metropolis for their hair stylists, I usually go to have my eyebrows waxed, but this review is about my first facial with Tuyen. When arriving, you check in at the front desk. I've never had an issue with the people at the front. I let them know what I'm here for, they give you a slip of paper, which you take with you & head to the spa, which is downstairs. When you enter, it's a dimly lit living room type space. Serene music is playing & tea, water, fruit, & cookies are displayed to help yourself to.There's staff that come by to replenish these goodies & take away dirty dishes/glasses. After sitting there a few minutes, a member of the staff takes my slip of paper & leads me back to the dressing room where I slip on a robe & slippers. I return to the waiting room & the aesthetician, Tuyen, comes to escort me from the waiting room to the room where I'll be having my facial. It's a small room, but you don't need a lot of space to do a facial. I slip into the warm bed & the facial begins. Tuyen explains to me what she's doing, if the steam is too much, I just her know & she pulls it back a bit. I haven't had a facial since last year, so Tuyen did as much extracting as she could, but recommend I come back in about 8 weeks so we can finish off whatever she couldn't do today due to the time constraint. After we were done, she said it would take a couple days before I could see the results of the facial. I was provided with some samples of products that I should use & returned to the dressing room to change out of my robe & slippers. I've been to Tuyen for eyebrow waxing & she's very maticulous & does a great job. This is the first time I've gone to her for a facila & she's just as maticulous & isn't pushy about products, just makes recommendations. My skin after about 3 days looked really good, the bumps I had around my jaw line were significantly less. I'll definitely be going back in 8 weeks & probably many more times in the future. read more

My hair looks beautiful but I have never spent so much time in a salon (2x longer than other salons for the same services). My time is more valuable - thinking of looking for a new salon. Very expensive as well. Be prepared. read more

What Princeton lacks in fun, its makes up for in their leisure. This is by far the best spa in central jersey. No matter who you choose or what package you get, you wont be sorry. To me a spa is more than just the massage or facial itself, its the entire expirence. Upon walking into the basement, you are relaxed instantly and attended too with a footbath, granola, and of course lemon/cucumber water. It gets 4 stars because the price could be better, but then again you get your quality with this price. read more

Katye is the best she has been cutting my hair since I was 12 and I don't trust anyone else with it. I recently had balayage done (after not having my hair dyed since high school) and she did an amazing job. The shampooing is the best when they take their time and really give you a nice scalp massage, if you're early for your appointment you're more likely to have a better shampoo experience. Yan and Emma are both great for waxing, but I never have my nails done here because its too expensive. The waxing is also a little bit on the pricey side. read more

Beautiful salon! Happy smiling faces. Clean and beautifully decorated . Upon arrival I was taken to the dressing room to change and then to the waiting room where I was given a warm heating pad around my neck, and a soaking tub for my feet. I was offered tea and granola while I waited for my appointment which was on time. I had a 60 minute muscle melt deep tissue massage that was out of this world. read more

Very clean and covid conscious. the hostesses were very sweet and friendly. I had a great cut and would go back.

Went to metropolis spa salon this week and could not be happier with my hair and experience there with ali! She really listened to what I said and was attentive. I have been to multiple salons before going here and I'm happy I finally found a hairstylist I love! 10/10 would recommend Ali. read more

There were a lot of hidden fees. This was my first time getting my hair dyed and I had a good experience- it turned out great- very natural and soft like I wanted it but it was a lot more expensive than expected. My stylist told me she was going to do a gloss because the color was brassy and so I naturally thought that would be included as her way of making it perfect- she almost had me do another conditioning treatment without telling me it was extra- so it ended up being a lot for expensive than it should have been. read more

Best wax experience of my entire life. (Which says a lot, I'm 38 weeks pregnant and waxing is more uncomfortable in this time). Emma was spectacular. I honestly am so glad I found her and this salon. read more

*This review is purely based on their waxing services, never had anything else done here* Tuyen is the best waxer I've ever had. For years after I moved away I was driving 1.5 hours to come see her for my Brazilian and leg waxes. She's so gentle and fast. Seriously makes it the least painful it could possibly be, and I never leave without a hug goodbye. Much pricier than I've paid for waxes at other places, but it's average for Princeton and IMO totally worth the price. I always leave totally satisfied. read more