Since moving here to Jeddah last December, I have found it terribly difficult to find just the right spa or beauty salon. It's difficult to trust someone new, when you yourself are new to the area.
Where do you get your recommendations from?
There is a site online which offers a directory and reviews for exactly this! However, it is new and not many posts have been made. If there are any others out there as interested as I am on this topic, please take a look and post a review on your own experiences. I think this can be a great tool to us in the future if there is more participation.
The site is JeddahLooks.com
Although it is mostly for women, it is also attempting to be geared towards men as well (this i find to be the most interesting part)...
Jeddah's Spas & Beauty Salons: REVIEWS!!
wow... thanks for sharing the website... jeddahlooks.com is very helpful :-) i'll be going back to jeddah before the year ends.
i haven't found any salon the last time i was there... didn't know salons exist in ksa! haven't had professional haircut for 2 years! imagine! lol! and i also did my own manicure and pedicure when i was there.
Hi Raha,
While I'm not exactly the right person to be posting reviews given my lack of experience at spas, I can offer my 2 cents on a couple of those listed on JeddahLooks.com "only in terms of hair cutting/styling" (based on my own experience or those I know).
Manna: Perhaps one of the more commonly frequented. Targets the middle-upper class customers. I heard from others they're good, but I did not really think so after seeing the cut of about 3 friends.
Nawarah: Targets the middle class. Surprisingly, it's usually crowded (I'm assuming 'cause of their reasonable prices), but I didn't like the cut I had there and those of 2 friends.
Viva La Vie: Targets the upper class. Though I've never been to the salon as a customer nor seen the product of their skills, I do know that the hair stylists there are either French (imported from France) or locals trained by these French employees. The aspect of the French employees being the "creme de la creme" of beauticians in beauty training institutes is touted as the differentiating factor that Viva La Vie offers.
There's another spa inside the gym (Olympia) of Dr. Soliman Fakieh Hospital. Prices are average of what you'd find in upper-middle class salons (hair cut for SR 150). I had a cut there recently, and I was satisfied with it.
I know the above may not be so helpful and a general conclusion can't be made based on the experiences of a few, but I thought I'd help with what I can.
P.S. Recommendations (and pretty much everything else) are usually gathered through word of mouth here.
Alexander Zwari
Spa Lounge
Park Hyatt
Hilton
Bouthyna
Tony and Guy
Manna
Viva La Vie
Mermaid
Oriana
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I would recommend Bouthania in Tahlia.
Joyce is an excellent cutter.
Having short hair I had previously found it difficult to get a GOOD hair cut.
Joyce was fantastic.
Helo:)..its been almost 5 days since i came to jeddah and i am totally cluless which parlour i should go to for basic services. Please suggest parlours for threading and waxing. Your help will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance:)
You tell me charges for spa lounge? And also which is the best salon for meni and pedi?
Forest12, can you give an idea of Bouthaina prices for haircuts ? Thanks
Since moving to Jeddah I have only used one salon for hair - Maraya Salon on Prince Sultan Street - in the UK we might call this a 'cheap and nasty ' place lol . If you want something simple, cheap, and are not too fussed , this place is ok, though I have read a lot of negative reviews . They're quick, maybe a little careless, with hair, or maybe its just the hair stylist I always get lol I don't know what they're like with makeup but I'm going to get party makeup done tonight for a wedding.. price is usually 150 sr but Wednesday and Thursday is 50% discount , hence I paid 75 sr for hairdo and the same for makeup. I'm going to take some of my own makeup products especially skin products and they're ok with that (though I sometimes find people get offended by that.. ) but I don't want the risk of breakouts in the middle of a party after using new (or cheap ! - who knows what they use....!?)foundations - no offense to them..in salons like this I think you have to be a little demanding, and tell them exactly what you want. It reminds me of those cheap salons in Morocco you find on every street corner lol . Prices in Maraya salon are affordable for me, given that I don't work, but if budgeting isn't an issue for you, I'd say avoid it, and go to nicer places lol such as Bouthaina 
Hope I don't come out looking like a clown tonight and hopefully my husband can still recognize me lol will review my makeup do soon. (Note : I'm taking pictures to show the ladies exactly how I want my makeup doing.... That's because in my experience, many Arabs have a very heavy hand, and I'm always afraid of too much makeup slapped on lol )
Oh - forgot to mention my (one and only )spa experience - Park Hyatt - this was a one day, all day package that included the use of gym facilities, outdoor swimming pool, indoor aquamedic pool, steam and sauna rooms, and a complimentary back and neck massage (20 minutes ). Price for this was 500 and something sr. spa is nice and clean, good facilities, though I wish they would provide complimentary tea and snacks I took my own snacks and bought lunch there (wasn't cheap, and wasn't very healthy ) bit disappointed.. nevertheless nice place , nice quiet location , lots of greenery outside and no noise to be heard so good place to relax for a day.
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