The receptionist there was so polite and very helpful. The people who worked on me were nice but not... skilled. I went there for a mani/pedi and massage. My pedicure was mediocre at best. I asked her if she would mind using the pumice stone to make sure that everywhere on my foot was smooth. She suggested I pay an additional $30 to get their other pedicure which gets rid of callouses. I get a pedicure every 2 weeks without fail and don't have any callouses! I thought a scrubbing with a pumice stone was pretty standard. No Stars Manicure... more like a nail painting experience. She did file them smoothly which is why they get the first star. Another thing, my nails were dried weirdly fast. I used my own nail polish but it never dries that quickly for me... Spa magic? I got the only man I saw there to give me my massage. I'm 5'7 and 2x the size of those little ladies, I wasn't even going to have them try to get my knots out. He did a pretty good job albeit a little too rough on my lower back but he paid special attention to the spot i asked him to. He also was very quiet and I pretty much fell asleep in that hour... signs of a good masseuse. I would give more stars based on his performance but the other stuff was just too bad read more

I had a hard time deciding how to review Serenity for the facial I received last week. After all the ranting, I've decided I'm going back. First, it's relatively inexpensive compared to other spas in Manhattan. It's right next to my apartment so after passing it every day, I finally decided to get a facial. The atmosphere leaves much to be desired. Rather than soothing, nature sounds in the room, they play classical music. This is odd to mention, except a facial is supposed to be relaxing, and hearing an upbeat piano play Tchaikovsky is by no means relaxing. The facial itself was fine. I felt like my esthetician rushed through a lot of the applications. The extractions were painful, but warranted I suppose since it had been 6 months since my last one. During my facial another employee came it to talk to my esthetician leaving the door open while steam poured on my face. It yet again made the experience less relaxing. However, the entire point of a facial is to make your skin look better, and that it did. My face hasn't looked this good in a long time and I know it was because of the products and methods used. I'll be going back, not only because it's a cheap facial, but because the end result was positive. read more

Very disappointed- I just moved to the neighborhood and was hoping this would be my go-to but I went once and will never be going back. The woman who was doing my gel manicure was one of the most unprofessional I've ever had. At one point she cleaned off the cuticle clipper into the water I was soaking my nails in and when I pulled my hands out to avoid the floating cuticles she grabbed them and shoved them back into the water. Disgusting. At the beginning I picked out a color and she brought me a completely different color! I had to ask twice for her to go back and get the correct one, to which she rolled her eyes at me. The list goes on, but this should be enough to get the point across. Very dirty and unprofessional. read more

I absolutely love this spa and cannot wait for the opening phase for spas as I do miss coming here for pampering. I've lived in the neighborhood for years and I've never had a bad experience at Serenity. From the receptionists to the Masssge therapists, everyone is helpful, kind, and very friendly. Alice, the owner, is so thoughtful and such a hard worker. No matter how late in the evening it is, if she sees me she still gives me a friendly hello and I know she's been working a very long day. I can tell her staff really enjoy working for her and that says something. I've enjoyed all the manicures and pedicures I've had at the spa but I especially love Serenity for massages. They are super relaxing and my go to place when my back or knees are aching. Lucy, David and the names of the others just escape me right now, but you can't go wrong with anyone really for a massage. You will walk out of the spa feeling like a new person! read more

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Made appointment for Mothers Day for two pedicures, a manicure, and the spa manicure that I received a Groupon Gift for. Walked in 5 minutes before our appointment, picked colors, and was told to sit and wait because they were very busy, while a woman shoved a mini waterbottle in my face and ushered me over to the waiting area. When I reminded them I had made an appointment (for 3pm, at this point it was 2:59) they brought my mother and I over to two pedicure chairs and began filling them with water. I asked, specifically, if I should wait or put my feet in (since it didnt look like there was anyone available to service us) and they said yes, that someone would be over shortly. So - we submerged our feet. 8 minutes into sitting there, a woman came over to tend to my mother's pedicure. Great. But I was already annoyed as I made the appointment specifically because I assumed they would be busy and I wanted to make sure my mom and I could enjoy the experience together. Another 10 minutes passed by and STILL no one was tending to me. My feet were getting soggy at this point, and while i was staring at my feet in the water I noticed how dirty the water was. At this point I removed my feet and let them rest on the towel to dry off. It's now 20 minutes after my appointment, my mom is more than halfway through her pedicure, and I have dry, pruney feet. Another 5 mninutes pass, my mom is getting her base coat of polish and a man walks over and says "so, uh, is someone waiting? who is waiting for something?" To which I replied that I WAS waiting, for 25 minutes, but I no longer wanted my pedicure because I made the appointment to get this service WITH my mother, not after. He asked me to come over for my manicure, but I said I wanted to wait and do that WITH my mother - hello! At this point I have put on my shoes and removed myself from the pedicure chair. My mom got really grossed out while her pedicure was happening because the woman getting a pedicure next to my mom was being treated with the SAME TOOLS as my mother - no sanitation, no nothing. GROSS. At this point, my mom decided she didnt want to get a manicure either because she just wanted to get out of there. I agreed. But here comes the best part... paying... I approached the woman at the front (the woman who initially told me I would have to wait, first red flag) to ask if I could use the promotional value of the groupon to pay for my mom's pedicure, OR if the groupon was only good for the spa manicure it was purchased for. The woman didnt know. She took my phone over to the man who had approached me by the chair earlier to ask him. She brought it back to me saying that no the groupon could only be used for the spa manicure. I said OK and was pissed because Iknew i would never be back to that place to redeem it, but whatever. I was ready to pay for my mom's pedicure. But i noticed that she pressed "redeemed" on my groupon! I asked her about it and all of a sudden she didnt speak english. She didnt understand what i was saying. And i was definitely pissed but I was not being rude. I simply explained that neither my mother OR I received a manicure and that she now took the Groupon away so what do we do? She brought the "manager" over - the man who had been getting on my nerves already. I asked him what happened to the groupon he said it was lost now. I explained everything to him and his solution was to give me a gift card for another time for the spa manicure. I refused politely, stating I didnt want to come back and they owed me the money from the Groupon OR they needed to deduct it from my mom's pedicure. So he said OK. Reminder - this is what I had initially asked to do. Whatever. Fine. Just get us out of there. Finally, I asked how much her pedicure was - $30. Not worth it, but fine. I then asked how much the "spa manicure" was... he said he didnt know. I looked on the services menu, there was no spa manicure. So now I knew he was going to make up the price.... I asked again how much the spa manicure was, he said it was the same price as the pedicure. I said great. So this is what I wanted to do from the start, they said no, caused me to make a scene, and did it anyway. My mom and I could not have gotten out of there ANY FASTER. SO GROSS. SO UNSANITARY and SO DISCOMBOBULATED. Mind you - as we were leaving we noticed they sat another woman in the pedicure chair I had been soaking in and they DIDN'T CHANGE THE WATER. I should have walked out as soon as they told me they were too busy to honor my appointment. My mistake. I will never EVER go back and will tell EVERYONE about his horrible, unfriendly, unsanitary experience that RUINED my mothers day plans. read more

CHARLATANS AND CROOKS. These people do not know how to run a good business. I went to purchase a massage service recently. I first picked up a flyer with the prices the week before. I decided to go back after seeing that they had a good deal on massages. I went back a few days later and confirmed the price of the massage before getting one. After the massage, the price was inflated by $25. I re-confirmed the price that I was initially told AND the price listed on the flyer. I was told by the woman behind the counter (with glasses - I don't know her name) that the price in the flyer AND what the other employee told me was a mistake and that I owed the full price. I insisted that since I was told the initial price was lower, I should not have to pay full price. The woman I was dealing with was extremely rude and even had the nerve to say that they would have to pay out of their own pockets to cover the extra money. In a very condescending way, she lowered the price by 5 dollars and took an additional 10% off when I said that wasn't good enough. She made it sound as if she was doing me a favor and kept saying "it's not my fault". I continued to argue with her briefly insisting that this was bad business practice. In the end, I ended up paying $9 more and I told her in that case I would not leave the tip. She was upset and said it was not his fault (meaning the masseur) and I agreed; I feel that she should give him the tip and that I should not pay for their mistakes. This was terrible, frustrating, and the most unpleasant experience I've had with an established business. There are plenty of other similar businesses that do a much better job and are much more professional and HONEST. Please, do not take your business here. read more

Yesterday went to this salon for the first time. I had a certificate for the platinum package. Can't say how many times during my almost-4-hour stay there did I regret spending my money on a certificate. Now, in detail: The Salon itself is very nice and clean, I have to grant it that much. Facial was my first stop. The "beautician" went on and on talking about herself and how good she is at what she does. That is, I assume that's what she was talking about from the few words that I actually understood. The extraction part (the whole reason I had a facial done in the first place) lasted two minutes at most!! So disappointed! At the end of the session, after trying to get me to buy series, she asked whether I will pay tips by cash or by credit card. Maybe its just me, but I found it totally unprofessional, I almost felt like not giving her tips at all. Next stop, the massage. This part was decent, though I could live without the masseuse constantly asking "whether it feels good" :-) Last stop, mani and pedi. The woman doing the nails was actually nice and did a decent job. Can't say the same, however, about the front desk staff, who nearly pushed me out the door... All in all, a pretty disappointing experience. Will not be back... read more

An absolute scam. I purchased a groupon for 2 VinaluX shellac manicures and when I went, selected my polish and then had the girl refuse to put a bottom coat, refuse to use UV light in between the two polish coats put directly on my raw nails and said she had a special top coat, which again she refused to use UV light on. I have this exact polish brand a color in my medicine cabinet and would have done a better job myself. Scam artists. read more

Uh dont go. Horrible service. Small place. Waited for more than an hour for a manicure? Short staffed. Dont waste your time please

This place is located just down the street form my cousin's apartment. She told me about it when I asked for a recommendation for a mani/pedi. I really liked coming here. The spa is super clean and neat. The ladies did a good and thorough job on the mani and pedi. I only wished that they had scrubbed my feet a little longer, but they were still nice and smooth. The polish stayed on without chipping the entire length of my trip, which is quite amazing considering how actively I was touring the city. I came back another time to get a mani before lunch, and the ladies were super nice. My manicurist was Korean, so she was chattering with me and telling me about some of the places to go. When I got a call to let me know that lunch was pushed up, she hurridly finished my nails (but they weren't sloppy), lacquered on extra hardener, got my subway pass out for me, and honestly just helped me in every little way so I could get out of the spa sooner without having to reach in my bag for anything. Definitely a high level of customer service in addition to doing a great job on the hands and feet. read more

Traveling from South Florida, I was searching for a Nexgen place and let me tell you....I loved it.. Jenn did a beautiful, clean and fabulous job!! Definitely going back!!!! read more

I like this place it is so welcoming I was late to my appointment and was still taken care of right away. Got a mani and pedi, with Groupon for the Vinylux mani which is pretty great! read more

Stopped in on my way home from work. I was in a hurry and didn't want to walk the several blocks to my usual nail salon. Mistake. While the woman giving me my pedicure was nice, she was super frazzled trying to juggle all the customers coming in. Everything about the pedi was sub par--she didn't even fully remove all the polish from my last pedi until I asked her to please do so before painting them again. This place charges a bit more than my regular spot so I had high hopes. Won't be back. read more

I got a mani / sea salt pedi groupon from here. the place itself is nice enough, but was a bit loud. they gave me a small bottled water when i sat for my pedicure which was nice. but no one offered any magazines, and i didn't see any around so didn't ask. mary did my mani/pedi. they put a baking soda scrub on my legs, which seemed a bit weird, but overall the pedi was decent. but then when she started doing my mani, she tried to upsell me into a facial. i politely said no thanks, but she insisted that i NEED a facial. seriously lady? i said no firmly again, and then she started talking to her coworker in a foreign language. isn't that so relaxing, when you know other people are talking about you in a foreign language in front of you! also she did an awful job on my manicure - apparently she doesn't know what cutting nails evenly means. don't recommend (especially mary!) read more

If it's available- purchase the 2 Vinylux Manicure deal on Groupon for $15! It's a great value- especially in Manhattan. Where else are you going to beat that!? I had Eva who was great, and will request her next time I come in. She took her time and added an extra coat because the polish was a bit streaky. Bonus points on the mini-massage at the dryer. I've noticed a lot of places have cut back on doing this. It's always a plus in my book. It's a decent sized, full-service salon. Prices seem a bit expensive if you don't purchase a deal, but it's also in an upscale neighborhood. Salon is always pretty full, but they do their best to get in you in and out of the door. read more

I purchased a Groupon and went in for a bikini wax at this place otherwise I would have gone to my regular place. It was relatively clean however, they are double-dipped! Disgusting! I didn't realize it at first until she went from one dip to the next in seconds and I was like whoa, wait a minute! Being that my usual place takes forever to do the bikini wax, its because they use a new stick every time and afterwards I SEE all the used sticks being thrown away. The woman here had only ONE stick she threw away afterwards. I have $25 left on the Groupon and won't be going back for a wax...maybe I'll try a mani/pedi?!?! But as for waxing in a delicate area, I would NOT recommend this place. They also charged me "tax" apart from the Groupon....weird... read more

I personally love this nail/spa/everything in one place! I've been going there ever since it opened and since I'm a student, the student discount is definitely very helpful! They have a very clean and serene environment that envisions for a relaxing experience. The lights, colors and mirrors create an environment so relaxing one does not want to leave! Their pedicures are incredible especially with their wide range of spa treatments such as the Green Tea spa and the Sea Salt Spa (which I have both tried). Truly a great and friendly staff that tries hard to cater to everyone's needs and for an enjoyable experience to all! read more

They are excellent!!! Just moved to the upper east side & needed a new lash girl! Rosa is great!!! Does such a great job my lashes look amazing- so many compliments!! And everyone in the salon is very nice & pleasant!!! A definite recommendation!! read more

Went back to give this place a second chance. Walked in at 8pm on a week day and was rudely told that they would not be able to give me a mani because there was not enough staff. There were two customers in the salon and one was being helped by two employees. Don't bother with this place - many other excellent options in the neighborhood. read more

Odd that there are no recent reviews? Started as a lash client. They are GREAT, well priced and the area for lashes is indeed "serene" Tried them for mani/pedi. Manicure was excellent, pedicure was okay. However, if you are looking for a relaxing respite for an hour or two this is not the place. It is busy, crowded and noisy. Very nice and helpful staff...like I said, NO complaints. Just know this is not a "serene" area read more

Ok, I went in here wanting to like this place, its the only place around me open until 10, ohhh I miss living downtown.....anyways...so I go in and I have to wait 20 minutes which ok not terrible but fine, literally she ran through the manicure, not great, but whatever, somehow she talks me into a 10 minute chair message, I'm tired say ok, I mean its hard to wait for your nails to dry otherwise, and ok it was awful like literally I just kept thinking about how I've had friend give me a better back rub, she just kept like rubbing my neck, it was so terrible. AND add insult to injury two of my nails chipped that night! I'm the type of girl who can get a manicure and it will last at least 5 days, I mean I guess if you dont clean or cook, these things just last? Whatever, worst manicure $13, even worse message. No way. Just no read more

I came here with a groupon for a gel manicure here like every other savvy shopper. However, my second here was the worst and will be the last. The woman who did my nails rushed like she was late for lunch. The uv machine qasnt working properly and she cut my cuticles so short they hurt. The front desk service was horrible and after changing their credit card policies made me take out $20 from an ATM that charges me $3.00 since I'm not from NY. If they want to keep their new customers they must treat them as if they are regulars make them feel comfortable. This place is not at all friendly or courteous. Never again. I am very displeased. I thought i would be coming here more often...guess not. And I'm not the only one giving a tough review. So before purchasing that groupon, think and save your money for a better service. read more

Got a groupon here for NexGen and a pedicure. The pedicure was just okay but my NexGen mani lasted and looked great for THREE WEEKS! They were very friendly when I was there, as well. My only complaint is I can't really return because they said it would be $95 next time without a Groupon which is a lot... read more

Solid UES nail salon with nice massages at the end of a mani! I've come here several times for a mani and once for a mani/pedi and they always do a fantastic and efficiently quick job! read more

The girl who did my pedicure is in street clothes who seems unfamiliar with a pedicure. Started pushing my cuticle back- dry. Pretty painful. Had to suggest for her to try submerging my feet first. Water was too hot initially. It's kind of a hot mess. They might do lash well but I am not impressed at all with the pedicure. Even while lotioniing, she was inexperienced with the massage and kept rubbing my bone read more

I really like this place. I've been trying to find a good, reasonably priced nail salon in Yorkville for about a year now & this place is definitely my new spot! Any time I've gotten a pedicure, they take their time and are very meticulous - not trying to rush you out of there. Highly recommended! read more

I got my Color Gel Manicure on Groupon and I have to say it was really worth it. This place is very nice and the staffs are very friendly, especially the lady who did my nails, her name is Amy. Amy was very patient and nice. She used the special cuticle liquid to soft the cuticles instead of putting my hands in the bowl, and she cut the cuticles very gentle and clean. I can be very picky when it comes to my nails, but I got say Amy really did her work! My nails are very nice and beautiful! It was amazing, I will definitely come back to Amy again! At the end, she used some lotion to massage my hands to prevent my skin getting too dry (well, my skin gets dry easily in fall and winter). Overall, it was a nice experience, I enjoyed it very much and I will recommend this place to my friends. read more

I have been coming to Serenity since it opened. I used to go to a salon down the block, but this is 100x better. I have a UV Gel manicure fill every 2-3 weeks and they couldn't be nicer and more helpful. Whether I make an appointment or walk-in, I get the service I want/need from the person I request. What could be better. read more

I purchased a groupon for eyelash extensions. The service was not the best and the lashes fell out quickly. I wasnt able to make it back in two weeks for a refill. I called, made a reservation and went all the way into the city just to be told I waited to long and would have to pay 50$ for a fill. I had purchased the groupon that included a fill and was never told I had to come within two weeks. The lady who spoke to me was very rude and wasnt willing to work with me although I came from over an hour away. Will never return and will never recommend. read more

Always great service! Young is so detailed and does such a wonderful job! She's the best!

I just walked out of this salon because the nail techs are so rude. I have been here before (never got a loyalty card as I see in reviews below) and it's always been fine - not great but good enough. Today however I didn't even get a treatment because I was seated for a mani/pedi by the nail tech (she asked if I would do my mani first as the pedi chairs were all taken. Then, they had me sit for 10 minutes as I watched 3 techs, all with no clients, just stand around and gossip and no one came to service me. I made eye contact with one, she turned back to the group of staff that she was talking to and they all just continued to giggle. I wouldn't mind waiting if there was clearly no one available and everyone was busy, but this was just like they'd rather stand around and talk to each other than help a client. No exaggeration here, it was a solid ten minutes before I just stood up and left and no one even said anything or tried to stop me. read more

been going here 8 years strong and Alice and her team are great at facials, waxing and massages. My only issue is my nails are always chipping a day after my manicure. It could just be me... They never chip when i have tips on. Either way great place! read more

$58 for a gel manicure?! I decided what the heck I'll give it a try. Maybe they treat you extremely well, have amazing gel, give you water while you sit, give you a massage, etc. No, none of that. No fancy gel that should last weeks with that price. No fantastic customer service. Nothing. But they did manage to make fun of me when they started to give me a massage and asked if I wanted them to keep going I said yes and they said "okay $15" Then laughed and stated "you thought it was free?" Never have I payed that much for gel with such horrible customer service along with it. Then when I didn't give good enough of a tip she had the audacity to tell me it wasn't even 20% and started to argue with me over how much I gave. ARE YOU KIDDING? Never going back again. Incredibly expensive for horrible service and being treated poorly. read more

I bought a Groupon deal for a mani, pedi, massage and facial. Facials always scare me a little bit, but they knew what they were doing and it was pleasant. The massage was very good and the mani/pedi were up to par! I would definitely buy that deal again! read more

I had a under arm wax from them last Saturday, my armpits are still red and irritated.I was not impressed with their service, the place is old and quite dirty. Will not go there again !- Sorry read more

I brought a couple's massage on Groupon for this place. The place is clean and staff are friendly. The masseuse focused way too much on my neck and shoulder blades, which caused them to ache afterward. The other masseuse that was with my friend kept insisting that she needed ache back treatment, which I found to be a bit offensive. After the massage, a "$5.00 tax" was applied, which was probably a way for them to scam money out of you. read more

I went here for spa week and i guess when i googled Serenity Spa, i didnt realize there was a bunch of spas with this same name. and i must have read reveiws about a different spa... I thought this place was at 776 6th ave but when i called the place when i was on my way they told me 3rd ave.... i arrive and the place is smaller than a nail salon..nice but small. I had Doug give me a massage in a nice small room... DOUG WAS FABULOUS! BEST MASSAGE I HAD GOTTEN IN SEVERAL YEARS! the only reason i give it 3 stars is b/c of Doug! otherwise i would give it 2 I also got a facial by Maggie.... it was the most painful facial i had ever gotten (i go 4x a year for the past 10yrs-never been here tho) she said the reason it was painful was b/c she "goes in deep to get everything"..ok i understand that..but when she did the microdermabrasion it felt like she was sodering my face off! i was in pain again! even with the little electrical wand she used to kill bacteria...thats not supposed to hurt- i felt like i was getting seriously zapped..... i thought i was going to walk out with a red face and marks but my skin looked great and it was very smoothe! So Maggie has a very heavy hand and is a little cocky but overall i got a good facial....painful but good... It hurt too much to go back- it wasnt relaxing....but i will definately see Doug again for a massage! read more

I've been here numerous times for manicures and eyebrow waxing and have always been happy. The staff isn't overly friendly, but they are pleasant and efficient. It's clean and they have a nice selection of colors. They also give you a free manicure after 10 visits which is a nice bonus if you get your nails done regularly. read more

I had a one-hour massage from one of the male employees and it was great. Perfect pressure! I would definitely recommend this location. The ambiance isn't great, but the massage was worth the money. read more

The staff was unprofessional and seemingly untrained. After a pedicure and manicure, I had to walk outside in sub-zero temps, wearing flip flops and carrying my things in a basket since the rest of the "spa" is in another dirty storefront. There's no way that the woman who gave me the so-called massage was a massuese. I asked what types of massages were available (the offer said swedish) -- and when I asked for swedish, she said she would "try." The result was about 50 minutes of elbows to my middle back and far too much rubbing oil in my hair. And worse, was the fact that that another staff member came in AND TURNED ON THE LIGHTS to get something out of the cupboard about half way thru. Not that I was relaxed anyway, but it certainly added to the general unpleasantness. Then before moving on to the ersatz facial, I had to get dressed, carry my basket into another room and get undressed again. I had to ask them to remove my make up before the brow waxing (which was supposed to be part of the facial package). There was a washcloth or small towel on the pillow with several hairs on it. I pushed it to the floor (where it remained throughout -- and my still be there for all i know). To say the facial was poor is an understatement. In fact, it borded on bizaarre. The steam was set up to blow in my right ear and my cheek -- when I mentioned this, the woman asked me to let her know if it was too hot. really. Most of the wiping and application of cream, etc. felt like it was being done with paper towel, and she smeared so much in my eyes (why wipe cream UP the face into the nostrils and eyes?) that my contacts were blurry for a couple of hours afterward. The extractions were none existent -- even after I asked about them. One pinch to the nose, and then more crazy paper towel tricks. And again, someone came into the room and started speaking to my so-called-facialist abou something. I actually complained and was told that they had been discussing something about/for a customer. When I pointed out that i was a customer too, it didn't even warrant an apology. All in all -- I couldn't get out fast enough and truly regret purchasing the "deal" -- my friend had an equally distressing experience. read more