Hela Spa

Wonderful experience — will definitely be coming back again. Had a facial with Sedi and massage with Allison as part of a groupon deal. The receptionist was very nice. The waiting area was serene and clean. Allison greeted me in the waiting area as I filled out some paperwork and offered me something to drink. There was no wait time at all.
The massage room was beautiful, quiet,

I went to Hela with no expectations. I wanted to treat myself to a facial and a massage.
Sedi was my esthetician. She was wonderful! She made me feel very comfortable, and seemed genuinely concerned about my skin. Her technique was great, and even the extraction was painless. It was truly a wonderful experience.
My massage with Kimberly was also an exceptional experience. This was only my second massage — my first being a horrible experience — yet Kimberly worked hard to make up for it. She was firm, but not too rough and paid special attention to my tense areas. I can not imagine getting a massage with anyone else.
I highly recommend both Sedi and Kimberly at Hela!

Back in August, I bought a Groupon for a massage and facial. I haven’t been able to use it until now, for various reasons. I actually wouldn’t have even been able to use it this week, but it’s expiring on Friday, so I wanted to fit it in. I called and tried to schedule it, and the receptionist said they’re all booked up for all of February. When I said that wasn’t my problem, and that they should still allow me to use the coupon for the services they promised me, the woman blamed me for not using it earlier. The spa knows how many Groupons they sold, and I’m sure they know how many have been used. If someone doesn’t call to schedule an appointment before the expiration date, fine — that’s the consumer’s fault. But when I call to schedule an appointment prior to the expiration date and the spa can’t accommodate me, that’s the spa’s fault. The receptionist was not willing to compromise, except to offer me the money I spent to put toward any service at a later date (but I would have to pay the difference in price). No thank you. I expect to receive what I was promised.
I called Groupon and fortunately they gave me my money back without any further trouble. If the spa had just worked with me on this, they would have kept a loyal customer, but now I surely won’t be back to Hela Spa.

I love how the front desk staff are not snooty. A real plus compared to a lot of other salons I have been to in DC.
1. You will not find anyone better at coloring your hair than Marybell. She is simply awesome! I get tons of compliments on my color. It looks natural and fabulous every single time –and I have had the color changed several times just for fun!
2. Donielle gave me one of the best massages I have ever had. Incredible, relaxing, and sooooo stress relieving.
3. Isabel does wonders with my newly long locks. I have not had long hair since I was a kid so I had no idea what to do with it. She cuts it so I don’t have to do much –and it looks awesome!
P. S. I used a Social Living coupon for a facial and massage recently. No problems whatsoever –and no attitude about it. Of course, I tipped on full priced service.

This spa is larger and more inviting than its Georgetown counterpart. Upon walking in the door, I was greeted by the receptionist who promptly located my appointment and escorted me into the spa waiting area to fill out the intake form and relax before my facial. She asked me if I wanted anything to drink and I gladly accepted a glass of water before sinking into one of the comfy chairs in the tranquil waiting area.
My esthetician, JoElle greeted me a short while later and escorted me into the treatment room. She reviewed my paperwork and asked me questions about my skin care regimen.
Before starting the deep-​cleansing facial, JoElle explained the steps involved. She didn’t talk to me or try to sell me any add-​on services during the procedure, which I appreciated. The peace and quiet helped me to totally relax and clear my mind for fifty minutes.
After my facial, my skin felt smooth and looked hydrated and radiant. JoElle recommended a few products from her skin care line that she thought were right for my skin type. I liked that this came off as her giving me advice rather than her making a pushy sales pitch.
My overall experience at this spa was wonderful. I look forward to my next visit!

One word: A-​mazing. This review is for my facial with Sedi. I used the recent Living Social deal for two facials (original cost w/​o the deal would be $ 120 per facial).
The spa itself is beautifully decorated, calm, and quiet. Everyone at the front desk was helpful, polite, and smiling – much appreciated since I walked in after two weeks of cramming for finals and was feeling a bit frazzled/​stressed.
The Living Social deal was for a deep cleansing facial. I’ve had facials all over the country. This was THE BEST facial I’ve ever had. Sedi was professional, polite, and engaging. She asked if I was interested in purchasing any products, but in a direct, friendly way – not pushy, and she didn’t try to sell me on anything (which is my pet peeve at every spa I’ve ever been to). I chose to add on the Eminence facial peel ($ 40), which wasn’t painful at all, and I noticed an immediate difference in my skin. Sedi also performed extractions, which didn’t hurt, and left my skin looking much better. She explained what she was doing before she did it, and I felt as though she paid a lot of attention to exactly what I was looking for from my facial.
The entire experience was exactly what going to a spa should be like – relaxing! I was there for an hour but quite honestly it felt much longer & wonderful! I’ve already scheduled my next appointment, and can’t wait. Thank you, Sedi!

I wouldn’t return to Hela. The receptionist was incredibly rude, and if I hadn’t purchased a Groupon deal there, I would have walked out. I walked up to the counter, and the two ladies at the desk were troubleshooting an issue with the computer-​totally fine, systems have glitches, but you say hello to the customer. They let me stand there in silence for about 30 seconds, before I finally said hello to them. Without making any eye contact what so ever, the receptionist said (in an irritated tone of voice), that someone else would be helping me. Visiting a spa is a luxury for most people, and the receptionist makes the first impression.
I got a microdermabrasion from Sedhi. She did a good job, but spent the entire session telling me how ridiculous American women were, in that they spent thousands in haircare, but never took care of their skin (I’m an American, with not perfect skin, though I have spent thousands of dollars taking care of it). One quick comment was fine, but enough is enough. I had a massage following the microderm, and I was suprised to see the therapist’s cell phone on the counter, and even more suprised when it rang… loudly. Accidents happen, but it added (negatively) to the whole experience.
Given all the great reviews, and high profile location, I expected better.

This review is for Shae Paye who now works at Hela Salon. Shae has been my stylist here in California for 8 years and all of a sudden, she had to move to Maryland. It has been 5 months since she left and I have not found a stylist as good as her. She is the best one here in NorCal and up to now, I still feel sad that she left. As a matter of fact, she is so good that I’m contemplating making a trip to Chevy Chase, MD just to get a haircut.
Hela Salon is so lucky to have her — she’s always on top of her game, very creative and she always makes sure that she is updated on the new hair techniques. She regularly goes to these seminars to better her craft. Every time she comes out of these seminars, I am always the happy recipient of her new-​found knowledge. She always surprises me each time with her revolutionary cut-​throat styling techniques. Shae is the reason why I look 30 even if I’m already 40. If you are looking for a stylist, give her a chance. I will pay for your haircut if you’re not satisfied with her. This is how good she is. I promise…

Mahin’s facials are perfection and Neven’s haircuts* are the best in town. I have tried so many others for both these services and nearly always leave disappointed. These two know what they are doing and, as they say, you get what you pay for.
*I have thick hair and most people either leave it frizzy or make it too «sleek» — Neven get’s it just right… I look and feel like a hair model!

The first Groupon I ever purchased was for a massage at Hela Spa in Chevy Chase. Even with the deep discount, I still felt like I overpaid. I don’t know what the hair salon is like, but the spa here is out of this world awful. Here’s why:
— The waiting area is cramped and located right near the reception area so you can hear the phone ringing and the receptionists talking the entire time. They were loud, but not louder than the phone — which was set at an insanely high volume. And when I say cramped, I mean that I had to suck in my stomach just to get in front of the couch to sit down. Once I did, I noticed that my knees almost touched the person across from me. I’m 5’3 and on the petite side, so you do the math here.
— They have one bathroom for use which also doubles as the shower. I remember thinking that even if I did want to take a shower after my massage, I wouldn’t because I’d feel too guilty about occupying the only bathroom available to other guests.
— Would you believe that during my massage someone actually came into the room on accident? The masseuse forgot to either lock the door or reserve it, but mid-​way through, an employee walked in and started apologizing profusely about interrupting the massage. To make things worse, the masseuse continued to apologize throughout the treatment making it impossible to relax. Maybe I’m over-​reacting, but I’ve never had someone walk in on a treatment and it just ruined it for me.
— Less annoying than the walk-​in was the fact that just like the reception area, you can hear the phones and receptionists from the treatment rooms.
All in all, this was not a good experience and I definitely won’t be returning.

I heard about Hela Spa through a Deals for Deeds voucher. I received an acupressure massage, and LOVED it! Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect as I generally just get a swedish massage, but it was definitely refreshing. The massage consisted of a neck/​back massage with leg/​arm stretches. He really addressed many of the knots in my back due to work.
Unfortunately, they were 40 minutes late starting my service due to a reality show taping and it cost me with my parking. I wish I had gotten told ahead of time, as they said the camera crew had been there 2 hours prior to my appointment. Oh well!
The service was refreshing, and I would recommend to others.

**Back when it was still Hela Spa & Ted Gibson @ The Collection…
The first few times I went, Donna White did my Classic Manicure (45 minutes) and Pedicure (1 hour). It was $ 74 well-​spent. She does an excellent job on natural nails and tips.
During my last visit, Natasha Ray did my Pedi. I was nervous, b/​c I missed Donna — but she came highly recommended, so I went for it. So glad I did. She was great. Each of my little toes got special treatment. I never wanted the pedicure to end!
Both ladies took their sweet time to ensure that every little nail was polished to perfection, every toe/​finger was rubbed and every sud had the perfect bubble for my foot soak. Heavenly!
This place is VERY pricey, compared to some of the local salons — but its well-​worth it. The atmosphere is so peaceful and its easy to forget that anyone else is there. I always leave feeling like a pampered princess and raving about my experience. Its been since Summer started, so I need to make my way back there.

I had a deals for deeds deal for 2 mani/​pedis and went with a friend. I figured since both of us were getting our nails done at the same time we would be near each other, not so much.
It was my first time there so I had no idea what to expect. The nail salon part of the spa is right off the general area where people are getting their hair cut, styled, etc. You are behind a glass wall (with a design on it so you’re not in a fish bowl) and can see people getting their hair done. I thought it was fun to watch people for the two hours I was getting my nails done, but I would have preferred to hang out with my friend.
The mani/​pedi were nothing special for the higher than average price. It was okay, but probably won’t go back for the basics.

My first groupon was for two mani-​pedis at this spa. Back them it was newly opened (a year ago). Me and a friend split the mani pedis and came in together one evening. We had a manicurist named Donna, and it was the best mani pedi I have had to date. Not only was she thorough, she spent a long time with us, way past closing and the end of her work day. All in all with the two of us it was a 5 hour mani pedi in our own private part of this great looking salon. She later invited us to the grand opening party and gave us coupons for a facial.
We did go to the opening party. I think we were so impressed by the catering by smith and wollenskys, the endless bubbly and the cute pink giveaway bags, we didn’t quite notice what was happening. We did however note the number of women with eating disorders in attendance.
I later came back for my facial (greta garbo), and spoke with Ted Gibson who was charming and I had really no idea who he was at the time. The facial I would say was very good but not the best I have had. But there were no products pushed on me.
I also had a swedish massage at this salon. A nice relaxing positive experience.
A few months later, my friend asked me to turn on the TV. Apparently the camera man filmed me and her ravishing meat on stick at the opening party. Unknown to us, we were on the first episode of the Real Housewives of DC and if you can stand to watch the show without wanting to poke your eyes out, you can find me looking like a chipmunk not even looking at the camera like a pro and my friend looking like a deer in headlights. If you have any additional questions, you can contact my agent.

Spontaneously on a random Saturday, I decided to use a coupon to the Ted Gibson Salon for a hair cut/​blow out and conditioning treatment. I wasn’t so sure what to expect after reading Unilocal but I did hear some really good reviews about this place — especially after watching Ted Gibson on Real Housewives of D.C. But I went, and had a great hair cut.
I was really hoping to have a good relaxing time but unfortunately, Saturdays are busy days for them. The salon seemed a bit over crowded and the staff also seemed rushed, but nevertheless, my hairdresser, Isabel, only left me unattended twice — once for my deep conditioning treatment where I had to sit for about 10 minutes (of course, I wasn’t expecting her to keep me company for that long), and the second time was really less than 3 minutes during my haircut.
When I walked into the salon, I truly didn’t have any idea of what I wanted but Isabel was great at consulting and she was able to give me some ideas for good styles. She also did a great job at giving me a scalp massage during the wash. As expected out of any staff, she was very polite and friendly. I absolutely loved my hair when it was all finished. I literally am obsessed with the way my hair looks because she did such an amazing job.
Aside from the haircut itself, she gave me a lot of tips and pointers on how to take care of my hair. Surprisingly, none of the staff was pushy on their products and didn’t make you feel obligated to come back for fill_​in_​the_​blank treatments. Overall, I left feeling very satisfied and I plan on returning to Isabel for my next haircut.
My only concern is that it’s rather pricey. The conditioning treatment and haircut/​blow dry came to about $ 240 without tips (but I had a sweet deal coupon). I think on average, it costs about $ 95-​$ 150 per haircut, according to their website.

I visited Hela Spa in FH for the first time over the weekend: I had a Swedish massage and a Greta Garbo facial.
My massage with Sheila was fantastic. She was pleasant, made me feel instantly relaxed, and had terrific hands. I felt soothed and pampered. I’d highly recommend Sheila for massage.
However, my facial with Sedigheh was a bit of a buzz kill. I wasn’t on the table for even five minutes before she went into her sale’s pitch. I had already requested an added service when I set the appointment — a peel — and was surprised that she was trying to get me to add even more to an already expensive facial. (However, apparently there was a miscommunication as the peel part of the facial – it was scheduled and confirmed beforehand to be with JoElle – never happened. The girl at the front desk didn’t seem too surprised or concerned when I let her know either.)
Maybe the facial threw me off because I was so relaxed after my massage (the reception scheduled my massage first because I was getting the peel with the facial). However, I just wasn’t very impressed– most of the facial was spent massaging my face and later, my scalp (both of which were eh). Maybe that’s relaxing to some, but I want my facial to be nitty gritty and down to business. I also felt uncomfortable when Sedigheh kept asking, «Did you enjoy your…» after each massage/​act of the facial/​etc. If she had asked me DURING the step, that might be useful. Asking me afterward just made me feel like I was supposed to gush over every little thing she did.
Her extractions were thorough and left me a bit spotty, but that’s expected, I guess. She gave me a pumpkin peel and did not charge me, which was very kind of her. (I have no idea what kind of mask I’d get otherwise – it was the only treatment that I received other than the face cleanse and her massaging my face with lotion.) And since they forgot to perform my peel – I was hoping for something with a little more oomph than the pumpkin, which did smell fantastic – it was nice that at least I got a peel, technically. Just not what I had in mind at all, as I’m used to professional grade peels such as Skin Medica’s line.
However, Sedigheh stressed that she prefers a natural approach to skincare – she frowned upon my use of a retinoid, in fact – so if you’re after that, I’m sure you’d love her.

I went to Hela Spa with a birthday package for a facial, massage, and a mani/​pedi. I had originally booked for Georgetown with the receptionist there and when I called back the day before to confirm, I was not in the books. Apparently, the Georgetown location does not offer the mani/​pedi and, without informing me, they had switched my appointment to the Chevy Chase location. I wasn’t pleased.
I arrived early and waited about 10 minutes before being escorted to the quiet area of the salon. JoElle did the facial, a nameless man did the massage, and another nameless woman did the mani/​pedi.
JoElle was awesome. She told me the type of skin I have and suggested the products I should use to maintain. (Of course, the products she suggested were ridiculously priced.) She only did a few extractions, which were painless.
I had to wait in my robe for the massage. I wish I had been escorted from one room to the next but instead, I sat in the waiting area for 10 minutes with my box of garments.
Mani/​Pedi lasted SO long (almost 2.5 hours). It didn’t help that while my toes were mid-​polish, a staff member swept my manicurist away to sing happy birthday and eat cake with another staff member. Not super professional. Also, post mani/​pedi, a hair stylist came buy to try to sell me an ultra expensive Keratin service to eliminate the frizz in my hair. What was she implying?
The services were good and I left «glowing,» but the service lacked. Yes, they offered me tea and complimented me on my hair… but they also rescheduled the appointment without notification, made me wait while simply robed, and took 5 hours of my day for 3 services. It was a good thing the package was a gift.

I have been dying for a haircut and needed one. The last one I had was back in July and well was not too happy. I did my research and looked around and decided on Ted Gibson.
As a mom, I wanted my haircut to be easy and manageable. Neven the stylist LISTENED to me. Listened to what I needed and how I wanted my hair. I was so happy with the end result!
I would go back again!

First of all, the only entrance to this place is on the back of the building, NOT facing Wisconsin Avenue. Second, this review applies to the deep cleansing facial I had for $ 50 during D.C. Spa Week 2010.
Well, I’m glad I had the facial during spa week, because if I was expected to pay full price at the end, I would have been ticked. When it started, the woman pointed out several areas with «congested» pores. But then when it came time for extractions, she only did a couple! I got home and saw ones I was able to rid myself of – like I didn’t even get a facial. I sat under the steam for at least 10 – 13 minutes of the hourlong facial … time that could have been used for extractions, massage … whatever.
It seemed like she didn’t care much because a) she was running late and b) I was only paying $ 50. I tipped her well, but in retrospect, I should not have. I can’t say my face is looking too different this morning. I’ll save up for a Bliss facial that actually works next time.

I treated myself to their Greta Garbo facial treatment yesterday. My skin has never felt so soft as it did afterwards and the next day too.
It was a deep cleansing facial with exfoliations and extractions. Tu-​Van L. was right — the extractions are cry-​worthy. i think I felt a tear roll down my right cheek. Fortunately that part doesn’t last long, and then it’s back to the moisturizing and hydrating.
The spa is elegant — just like Greta Garbo! The treatment room is tranquil and it is easy to forget about all your worries and holiday shopping left to do.
JoElle was great. She’s got great hands. I highly recommend her.
They do validate, but make sure you don’t let the parking attendant charge you. He told me I owed $ 3 for the 1 ½ I was there. I pointed out my validation stamp and then he said, «OK, you’re good.» Seemed a bit sketchy to me.