Watergate Salon

Kim gave me one of the best haircuts I've had in a long time. She was incredibly detail-oriented,…read moreand her energy was upbeat and engaging. She balanced giving professional recommendations while still listening to my preferences. If you're looking for someone who is attentive and genuinely cares about her clients, please book with Kim!

This review is for Sera…read more I completely understand that a stylist's time is valuable, and I know it's frustrating when clients are late. I also understand why my appointment needed to be rescheduled. My issue is not with the policy, it's with how I was treated. I was made to feel like an inconvenience from the moment I walked into the salon. I had a 12:45 p.m. appointment and called before leaving home to let the salon know I was running about 10 minutes late, which is their stated grace period. The receptionist told me she would let Sera know. At 12:56 p.m., when I was literally one minute away from the salon, I received a call saying Sera could no longer see me because I was late, and she had back-to-back clients. While I was disappointed, I understood. I asked if I could still come in briefly to speak with Sera because I wasn't even sure I needed a full highlight service, and the receptionist agreed. When I arrived, Sera immediately told me I needed to reschedule and seemed unwilling to discuss my hair beyond commenting that the back was "really dark" and explaining that she had returning clients scheduled after me. She didn't seem to know or care that I was a returning client. Sera had done my hair in February, and I came back because I had really liked her work. Not recognizing me in and of itself is not a big problem--I know a lot of people sit in her chair--but it made the interaction feel impersonal and left me wondering if she'd even prepared for my appointment. I was fully prepared to work with Sera and the receptionist to find another date and time that fit both of our schedules. Instead, both were unhelpful, dismissive, and rude. This experience was especially difficult because I have pretty severe alopecia areata that, thankfully, is now well controlled with medication, allowing me to grow most of my hair back. That said, I wore a wig for five years after losing most of my hair, so finding a stylist I trust is still an incredibly vulnerable and anxiety-producing experience. Every time I see someone new, I have to explain my hair loss and why I prefer a lived-in color that doesn't require overly frequent trips to the salon. I chose to return to Sera because I thought I had found someone I could continue seeing. Instead, I left feeling embarrassed, dismissed, and genuinely upset. I walked out of the salon, called my husband, and cried like a reprimanded little girl. I am a 35-year-old grown-ass woman. Policies are important, and I respect them. Kindness and professionalism are just as important. Had the situation been handled with empathy and respect, I would have happily rescheduled. Instead, I left feeling less like a person and more like a time slot or a dollar sign. It seems like Sera may have enough clients that turning one away isn't a big deal, but I was respectful, cooperative, and ready to work with her to find another appointment. I deserved that same courtesy and respect in return.

My recent haircut by Jeff. I LOVE it :)

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1 week post-balayage!

MOXee Salon & Spa

4.6(45 reviews)

0.3 mi

Locally owned & operated

Women-owned & operated

Great friendly salon! Yelp find and was perfect for me and my sister: affordable, highly rated, on…read moretrend, excellent stylists. I've worn my hair long for about 15 years and have gone through lots of changes in the nature of my hair. Needed to start fresh, heal my hair a bit and find my way to a new look. Natalie was totally game and suggested a bob, and her warm encouragement had me jump for it! Glad I did. On my way to better health in my hair, and a look that can work for the next few years. Crossing fingers! Thanks, Natalie!

Had an awesome experience with Israel. Found him via a…read moreChatGPT search when I was visiting town for work. I told it exactly what I needed and asked it to recommend somebody locally that fitted that box.. It suggested Israel so I gave it a shot. Great experience! He chatted to me about what I wanted and took time and care to get it spot on. Came away really happy and will definitely be back when I'm working in DC. Heartily recommend!!

Men's grooming

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Ozuki Salon

4.0(296 reviews)

0.4 mi•Georgetown

I can't imagine not seeing Tony for my styling. He takes a decade off my many years by giving me…read morethe lift in my cut I wish I could have daily.

The haircut here was very disappointing and did not meet the standards I have come to expect from a…read moreJapanese salon. 2022 I am new to DC. Over the past five years, I have regularly visited Japanese hair salons in Los Angeles, New York City, and Boston while traveling frequently. In those experiences, even when a haircut did not fully match my preferred style or length, the technical quality was consistently strong, and any adjustments were handled professionally. Unfortunately, this experience was very different. One of the defining characteristics of a Japanese haircut is the smoothness, softness, precision, and careful organization of the layers. In my case, the cut lacked those qualities and appeared uneven and poorly structured (the photo from the back). I was also disappointed by the salon's management. Based on my experience, the overall operation and quality control did not reflect the standards typically associated with Japanese salons. Update (May 2026): Over the past 4 years, I have been with my Japanese hair stylist in New York. I returned to the salon to see Keiko because I was hoping to find a long-term stylist in Washington, DC. I had not had my haircut for 7 months prior to that because I delivered a baby in December 2025. Ozuki appeared to be one of the few salons in the area offering Japanese hairstylists. Immediately after the appointment, the haircut looked good due to the styling and blow-dry. However, within a few days, the shape became difficult to manage and appeared increasingly unstructured. The photo on my ID, taken approximately three weeks after the haircut, reflects how the cut settled over time. In contrast, the Japanese haircuts I have received elsewhere typically maintain their shape and balance for several months. Despite my concerns, I scheduled another appointment six weeks after the first haircut with Keiko because I genuinely hoped the issues could be corrected and that I could establish a relationship with a local stylist. At the same time, I let the management know that my haircut had bad form and hope that it can be resolved at the second appointment. Unfortunately, my interactions with management, Liz, were once again disappointing. Rather than addressing the concerns constructively, the response left me with little confidence that the salon could deliver the level of quality I was seeking. This is the first Japanese salon where I have repeatedly had unsatisfactory experiences. Based on the consistency of those experiences, I am not convinced that the salon operates at the standard typically associated with Japanese hairstyling.

Entrance on 30th Street. Close to the corner of 30th and K streets.

Keiko Goto

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Salon Omer & Spa

4.5(15 reviews)

0.5 mi•Georgetown

Visiting DC and was in need of a cut badly. I had some extra time and was staying close to this…read moresalon. Booked an appt an hour out and Engin was my stylist. He did a phenomenal job cutting and styling my hair. He gave me long layers and some facial framing as well as cut my side bangs without cutting them too short which is tough for some stylists to do! 10/10 recommend Engin - so much so I got his name just to be able to review. Will go back when I'm in town for sure!

Not good at men's haircuts. Crooked cut and obvious layer lines. $70 for a 20 minute clipper cut to…read morewalk out chopped. Avoid at all costs.

Hair Salon

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Hair Salon

Karma Beauty Lounge By Erwin Gomez

4.5(190 reviews)

0.4 mi•West End

I see Ji for cut, color and stying. She always does an excellent job and I look forward to my…read moreappoints. She is a pleasure to spend time with and a consummate professional. I highly recommend Karma by Edwin Gomez!

Do not come for haircut. This is simply a place to beautify your face and hairdo for your special…read moreday or to color your hair but don't come here for a haircut. Except for French woman named Sophie who can do decent cuts, there is no any other stylists skilled in precision haircuts. Came here and one of their top stylists gave me the worse cut I've ever had in my life. I've had to wait more than 6 months to grow my hair out from the horrible layers he did on me. He literally just chopped my hair up. The bottom of my hair in the back was an upside down triangle! Every stylist knows it should be straight across and maybe just a bit rounded on the sides! Any salon would have easily provided a (normal) soft, feminine, sexy, natural cut that is subtle perhaps at different skill levels. This guy clearly had no concept of how to cut (straight) hair because his clueless messes get disguised easily in wavy or curly hair or in a blow dry with curling brush.

Hair color and cut by Ji Cha.

Picture perfect makeup by Ji Cha.

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The Breakers w/ Lindsay

Fringe Hair Studio

4.6(108 reviews)

0.9 mi•Georgetown

Thanks so much to Essam for a great haircut today -- exactly what I was looking for -- and a very…read moreinteresting conversation, too!

Got cut and color with Essam recently. Cut was fine, color…read moreI'm not happy about. I asked for and shared photos of ombre or balayage style color and ended up with partial highlights that abruptly stop at around the crown of my head. I should have known it would not turn out well when he was confused that I didn't want my "highlights" to go all the way to my roots. I reached out and he offered to fix but at that point it seemed the only option was to extend the highlights which is not what I was going for so I'm just going to let it grow out.

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Tresses Salon

4.0(98 reviews)

0.5 mi•Foggy Bottom

been going here for 4 years. great everytime! I usually just walk in and get seen ASAP. each…read moreemployee goes out of there way to make sure your style looks great. good prices and excellent location

I went to Tresses after a recommendation from a friend. First off, I went during my lunch hour and…read morewas surprised how fast I was able to get my hair cut. It was the perfect timing. I did not opt in for my hair to be dried, but it still looked really good. Joao and his team are using magic scissors here or something because after my cut, my hair has felt so much fuller, so voluminous and it has grown substantially. The price point here is also a plus and there's lots of options for you, depending on your needs, timing, etc. I look forward to my next cut with Joao!

Inside

Afro cut with highlights

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Illusions Of Georgetown

4.4(103 reviews)

1.0 mi•Georgetown

A had the pleasure of having my hair done for the first time with Amanda. She did a pristine job…read moreon my keratin and did a fantastic job with my color and highlights. She even did a quick trim to give my ends some shape. Everyone is very kind at the salon and there is very convenient and free parking in the back. I highly recommend Amanda and Illusions!

My haircut was fine, but Suelene made several negative comments about my hair (which is often…read morecomplimented as my best feature). It was kind of weird and not the experience you expect from a stylist, whose job it is to make you feel beautiful!

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Miracles Salon

4.0(386 reviews)

1.1 mi•Rosslyn

Locally owned & operated

Established in 1994

Lona and Odelia are phenomenal professionals in the services they provide! This salon is one of the…read morebest in the DMV and the quality of work for the price point can't be beat. I'm glad I found them and so are my girlfriends I recommended this place to. If you're thinking of booking, don't hesitate and just do it I love to get hair cut + glosses + blowouts here

Miracles in the City in Rosslyn is an outstanding salon. Deserves 10+ stars!!…read more Owners Voula and Niko are incredibly talented, especially when it comes to highlights and color. Precision cuts!! The entire team is skilled -- truly, whoever you book with does beautiful work. Their brother Elias manages the scheduling and is amazing at accommodating clients, often helping with same-day appointments. Odilia and Daisy give the most relaxing shampoos and add to the welcoming atmosphere. The salon has a warm family feel while delivering top-level professional results. Highly recommend. (Tip: my whole family goes here now.) Love them!!

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Blonde highlights anyone?

Allure Hair Salon

4.3(29 reviews)

0.9 mi•Rosslyn

Happy ... was able to get a last mile minute appointment... not a lot of fussing, just a nice…read morestylish cut and plan on going back !

*Update 4/28/18 After much back and forth they finally…read moreagreed to refund half the money, for which I'll give them an extra star. I still believe a full refund would've been the right thing to do, but you pick your battles. I appreciate the attempt to make this right although it still seems somewhat half-hearted. 4/27/18 Please look up "Zhen Lin" on yelp to see my review of the stylist who did my hair and more pics of the highlights she gave me. There was obviously a major misunderstanding. Why on earth anyone would want super blonde highlights on top of dark brown hair in 2018 is beyond me. This is not at all what I asked for. I asked for a natural looking balayage and showed Zhen literally four different pictures of examples I liked. I expressed that I really wanted the hair to look natural, blended and not ombre'd or striped. Both Zhen and the manager refused to try to make it right when I expressed my disappointment in my hair. Neither offering to help fix it, nor a refund. I had to pay $250 for something that was the opposite of what I wanted. After begging in person for them to help, I left another pleading phone message tonight for them to help me fix this mess, or refund my money as I can only imagine what a color correction will cost at another salon. I absolutely hate writing bad reviews about people and wouldn't have posted this if I didn't feel completely swindled, disrespected and brushed aside. I'm really hoping they'll get back to me, and I'll update this review if they decide to do the right thing. In the meantime, I'm beyond disappointed and disgusted!

This is Sammy

Main entrance

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Hideous highlights---not at all what I requested.

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Tiffany C.

15 years ago

What an awesome experience I had at the Watergate Salon!! I went there after hearing great things from a friend of mine who used to work there years ago and had my nails done, doing the shellac thing and the manicurist was amazing! Not only has the shellac lasted 3 weeks, but the staff was friendly and very talented! The owner, Claudia was very courteous and professional and took care of all of my needs. I will definitely be referring my friends and plan on going back to enjoy even more services than just my nails. Thank you Claudia for an incredibly pampered day at your salon! read more

K C.

11 years ago

The Watergate is a hidden jewel -- I love to look at all of the old-time movie star pictures on the walls who have been to the salon. Claudia is warm and always does her best to accommodate my schedule. Michele is the only person I will allow to do my facials, eyebrow shaping, electrolysis and waxing: she cares about my skin and does a fabulous job. I have gone to her since we moved to Washington 28 years ago and would never go anywhere else. And, I am extremely picky. I so wish I had brought my mom here, she would have loved it. read more

maria g.

18 years ago

BRIDES DON'T LISTEN TO ALICE A.!!! My bridal make-up and party were done 2 months ago, and the staff as well as the make-up artist were amazing. My wedding was on a Saturday and the salon was packed. But they still managed all 6 of us with so much ease, I finally began to relax. As far as the prices go they were more reasonable then most salon/spas in DC. Thank you Watergate Salon for making my day special and treating us to your wonderful cappuccinos! read more

Jana S.

12 years ago

I have been a patron of this lovely salon for over twenty years. Why? The owner, Ms. Claudia, greets me as if I am part of her family. When I have my hair done, I get many compliments (even from my husband of over 30 yrs), manicure and pedicure great and the best cappuccino in town. I could go on and on... Dr. Jana S. read more

R C.

15 years ago

I have been going to the Watergate Salon for all services, for more than thirty years. It's a second home for me, and my facial and day spa needs! I highly recommend this wonderful salon read more

Jinette L.

1 year ago

I wish I read the reviews before coming, completely arrogant staff, low quality work and expensive. Would not recommend at all.

Michael V.

14 years ago

Veronica, the colorist is fabulous, and does a very good haircut as well. Not too expensive for what you get.

Happy D.

18 years ago

Three thoughts: overpriced, mediocre service and bad attitude. enough said. read more

Watergate Salon - othersalons - Updated September 2026

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Nina is the absolute best. Along with being so kind and helpful, she is also so patient in helping…read moreme find the exact nail color I want or figuring out a way to create it. And she does a wonderful job in filing and shaping my nails. I highly recommend her!

I've been in this shop for other non-hair related services, so I'm not commenting on that…read more I am commenting on the overall appearance and cleanliness of the salon. I did not comment after my first time there as I thought perhaps it was an anomaly. Well, months later it's the same; I'm usually there on a weekday early to midday (no one cutting hair/the shop just opened). When in the waiting area, each time I've been there, I observed hair on the floor, bench and the table holding the magazines. The waiting area is not particularly near the hair cutting area. I'm worried that the place is not cleaned very often or swept. Tracy & Company is located close to the Eastern Market metro and on the Circulator line (the bus stop is literally right outside of their shop, making it very convenient).

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Hair stylist offered very good mens haircut but talked non-stop and I had to ask her not to be so…read moreaggressive cutting my hair. Would leave salon more stressed than I was going in. Stylist was on time and staff were nice.

I did your homework. You no longer need to look for the best stylist for your blonde hair. Necip is…read morethe best for blonde highlights. His wealth of experience from another country coupled with experience now in the USA, make him a "hair whisperer." I've been going to him for about 20 years. I followed him when he changed salons. When I made a mistake of going elsewhere few times , Necip always had to fix the damage. He knows current trends, and I trust him with my hair. I will close my eyes during haircut and open them after blow-dry to see the magic. I immediately love the woman i see in the mirror. He is very kind, listens to you but will advise against a look that will not look the best on you. He cares about how the client looks and the way they will look after. He also cares about the health of your hair suggesting, a haircut when ends are damaged. I would be lost without him. Finally, everyone at the salon is very nice.

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Hair stylist was nice but talked non-stop. Decent mens haircut. Kind hair washing team…read more Uncomfortable salon layout.

The absolute best!! Had so many complements for a busy gala in DC and what a kind and warm…read moreencouraging staff. I can't say enough nice things I love them so much! Never disappointed and made me feel my best so much gratitude in my heart to them

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I walked in about an hour and a half before closing, hoping to just get worked in. They were more…read morethan accommodating and I was able to get a fantastic diamond glow facial from a very knowledgeable aesthetician. This was such a relaxing experience and they were very accommodating. I loved the products they used.

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A friend recommended me to get my hair done by Jae, my new stylist! I am SO happy with my new look…read moreand even happier that I found this place. Initially, I felt skeptical getting my hair done at a small salon with only a few reviews. I definitely underestimated her talent! Not only did she deliver more than expected but also took the time for a consultation beforehand; she gave me helpful tips (very politely) on particular hair styles/cuts/color that she'd recommend since I wasn't sure what hair style would suit me best. She was very accommodating, as well as the whole staff. She cared a lot and even gave me recipes on home remedies to improve the healthiness of my hair. I wanted more volume so I asked for layers with full highlights! Their prices are very fair and affordable as well. EDIT: Also, the owner of this salon has changed and the business management has significantly improved since :)

Great haircuts and friendly services at a fair price. You also get a card which can track your…read morehaircuts and you get the seventh free.

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I hate to write this review, but my experience with a cut and color was kind of a nightmare from…read morestart to finish. I made an appointment online for 2:30 and arrived about 10 minutes early. The gal at the desk let me know that they were running a bit behind, and would I mind coming back in about half an hour. Sure, no prob. I came back at 3 and they still weren't ready. They didn't actually sit me in the chair until 4:45. First red flag, I should've left then. I wanted just a trim and a simple, all-over color refresh. The stylist who was doing my hair was really sweet and clearly wanted to do a good job, so I don't blame her for this. The manager/teacher is who I think the issues all really lay with. She was super rude and aggressive with me and the student the whole time. She kept putting the stylist down and rolling her eyes whenever she had a question. It was frustrating to watch someone who was clearly eager to learn get shut down over and over again. I asked for a "refresh of my copper color" and she said "your hair isn't copper," and rolled her eyes at me. She also shamed me for doing box dye at home and called my hair and color "a huge mess." The trim took over an hour and the color took another 3 hours. Then when I was trying to check out, it was another 30 minutes bc they couldn't figure out the right way to charge me. I didn't realize that the pricing online for a color experience didn't include the amount of color they used. So what I thought was going to be a ~$70 experience ended up costing me over $100. Somehow the color only seemed to go halfway down my head despite using 3+ bowls of color. It was also bright red, not at all the copper I asked for. I understood coming in that it was going to likely be not the best experience as they are still in training, but it was not only a terrible result but also expensive and extremely time consuming. I got there at 2:30 and didn't leave until almost 9 pm. This was a 1 star experience, but I'm giving an extra star because the student stylist who did my hair was clearly trying her best.

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