Hobart Nails & Spa

This was my third and last trip to this nail salon. I took my Mom who’s partially handicapped for a manicure/​pedicure and the nail technician whom was an older woman as well was extremely rude and bossy towards my Mom. She did a horrible job on her feet and the polish on her fingernails looked even worse. The Health Department needs to make a visit to this facility and make sure all technicians are currently licensed. I really think they will find some discrepancies. Don’t waste your time going in this place.

Just to get another idea of this horrible business, I received a message from either the owner or employee mocking my review. Another reason you should STAY AWAY from a business like this.

Trapped in Hobart by a deep fear and abiding hatred of rush hour traffic on a Thursday afternoon, I was wondering what to do with myself in the two hours before I could reasonably get on I-​94 and head back for Chicago. Find a park? Nope, I had a fresh pie and my laptop to keep safe. Hang out at a coffeehouse? None in Hobart than I knew. Eat? Not after a nice late lunch in downtown Hobart. Pulling out on Lake Park Avenue/a.k.a. Route 51 in Hobart, a fortuitous surge in traffic meant I had to sit and stare off into space for a few minutes. And, lo and behold, my eyes fell on Hobart Nails & Spa, in the strip mall on the north side of Route 51 — I could get a pedicure!
Gentle Reader, you must know that this would not be my #1 way to kill time. Indeed, the last pedicure I had was maybe 15 years ago — it wasn’t so great, my feet hurt afterward, and I felt no desire to repeat the experience. My hands are steady enough to apply polish to my toenails, so there was no need to pay someone else for the privilege. But, stranded in Hobart, strange impulses arise. I entered, asked for a pedicure, and was told there’d be a 10-​minute wall. I was instructed to pick a color of polish from a large display in the front room. Being old and boring, I passed by all the sparkles, neons, and chose a deep red.
There are six nail stations in the back room. The only man working there turned out to be my technician. He told me to put my feet in the bowl and gave me a list of pedicure choices — hot wax, extra smelly stuff, whatever. I went with the basic $ 25 service. He was very businesslike, which was fine with me. The only laugh I got from him was when I said, you’ll have to tell me what to do here. I haven’t had a pedicure in at least 15 years. For some reason, everyone within hearing range thought that was hysterical.
He worked quickly but confidently. My toenails were clipped, my cuticles were smoothed, my toes were buffed, the soles of my feet were efficiently and comfortably smoothed and scraped (fyi, I work on my feet almost every day myself, so there were already in decent shape), and my lower legs were scrubbed with a scented salt scrub up to my knees. He applied the polish quickly and evenly, and led me out to the drying station, telling me to give it a good 15 minutes under the dryer, since I was wearing shoes, not open-​toed sandals. Then he said, «you want to pay me now?» Yep, guess so.
I showed off my feet at work today, and they were universally admired by women who think getting a pedicure is as necessary as bathing — and that’s a lot. I don’t work with dirty or smelly people. For me, the pedicure process was just fine, but I’m still not sold on it. It was okay. I got what I paid for. I really don’t see the great appeal that other women seem to feel.
Hobart Nails & Spa could improve the customer service a little bit by saying hello, smiling, and offering a cup of water. When I got taken over to the drying station, my throat was parched. I asked the man, could I get a drink of water? He seemed surprised. Isn’t it a normal courtesy to offer water? He returned with a small bottle of water, which I sucked down fast. The lack of warmth and small courtesies bring my rating from 5 stars to 4 stars.
If I’m stuck in Hobart again, I would consider getting another pedicure. But I’m in no big hurry to get the procedure again. It was okay. As inexperienced as I am with pedicures, maybe my lack of a «wow factor» means I didn’t get the best pedicure ever.
Oops — almost forget. The chair you sit in during the pedicure is an automated massage chair. Your back and butt get pummeled by a machine for the whole time. It felt very weird to me. It kept my ass from falling asleep, but that’s about the only benefit. I’d had a 90-​minute full body massage the day before, and believe you me, the chair wasn’t very pleasant. I’ll take a real, professional massage by a human being any day of the week. So it’s a «meh» for me on the chair.