Mantra an Aveda Concept Spa Salon

I scheduled my facial for a Monday on purpose. I thought what a great way to begin my week! I got the one hour facial with loads of steam on my face which I really like & it also included a hand & arm massage. I was in heaven. It was such a great stress reliever. By the time she was all done, I was so relaxed I about feel asleep! I'm really looking forward to my next appointment. more

I recently received a coupon for a custom facial for 1/2 off the regular $85 dollar price. What started bad got worse. First the facial room was freezing, there was no ambience at all, no candles lit, music, nothing..The facial bed was a dental chair not a facial bed, so your body was at angle the whole time. Then she used very little water on my face to wash it, and then proceeded to say i had my chose of the warm steam on my face or a hand massage!! Wasnt steam always part of a facial to open the pores?? Then her cell phone proceeded to go off..You can hear every noise coming from above your head, the salon is directly above you and you can hear them stomping on your head! Between that the washer is going and the dryer and its directly across from the room. you can hear it all! This was the worst facial I've ever had and would not go there again...Sadly disappointed, Because I love Aveda!! I think Aveda would be disappointed to know how the facials are done at this place.... more

It wasn't until this experience that I ever thought I would have to sign up to write a review. Cons: Customer Service, Not an Aveda Salon (misrepresentation) more

I have been getting my haircut from the owner for two years (no colour) and have loved every cut. My recent cut (July 5th 2008) is so good that even after 6 weeks it still looks great - even without styling product or blowdrying. After a busy day, I looked forward to the essential oil scalp and shoulder massage, tea was offered, and a hand massage. I am sorry that the other stylists did not perform or offer these services for their own clients. I will continue to give my hair business to Mantra. Welcome and good luck Ms. V - I look forward to meeting you. Cons: Parking more

Under New Ownership, so please disregard the previous negative comments. As of August 11th 2008 there is a new owner. Please give Mantra salon another try. We asked city search to start new with proof of new ownership and they refused. Our master stylist has had over 10yrs experience in the industry with training from New York to Los Angeles. Vidal Sassoon, Bumble & Bumble, Toni & Guy, Paul Mitchell...just to name a few. Looking forward to a new start! Pros: New Owner Cons: new owner still learing the ins & outs of the new space more

I agree with the avid aveda lover. This place should be sent to the better business !!!! They DO NOT have a service sheet, ( who doesn't have that unless you are making the prices up as the clients walk in ) ..... I went in to get bleached blond it took over 3 hours and the owner who did my hair turned it gray instead of what i wanted! She never discussed prices with me, all i wanted was highlights and i turned gray within a 3 hour span! Throughout the entire time all she was talking about was her kids and her ""love triangle"" she was in with another middle eastern man! (Classless) I am there to get my hair done not to hear about her infadality!!! At the end all she keep saying was, ""it looks great""!"" Next time it want be as much money, ( she never even told me how much it was, or I would have corrected her mistake from the start!!!! I thought Aveda doesn't have sales and she was offering clients 20% or more of a discount ( which I was not offered)! I guess she is selective with the people she charges and what discounts she gives! I will make a call to Aveda Corp. to inform them of this and the better business b!!!! I WILL WOULD RATHER GO TO SUPERCUTS THEN BACK TO THE OWNER AND THE KIDS SHE HAS WORKING FOR HER! (ONE OF WHOM MAKES TAKES CELL PHONE CALL WHILE CLIENTS ARE WAITING FOR HER TO FINISH THERE COLOR!!!! WORST EXPEREINCE AND OVER CHARGES, IT WOULD MEAN SOMETHING IF SHE DID A GOOD JOB, MAYBE SHES TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT HER LOVER!!!!! F-------- Cons: RUDE,UNEXPERIENCED,OVERCHARGED,NOT CLEAN,NO MORALS more

notasadvertised and avidspaguy nailed it right on the nose. if you want good hair service DONT GO HERE! I just moved into the area and was looking for a new stylist so I made an appointment with mantra after seeing the website. The salon is NOTHING as the website says. No extra perks that the site mentions, they didn't even offer me tea. I walked in and two girls that looked about 18 were there. How much hair styling experience can an 18 year old have? I had my hair highlighted and trimmed. The entire time the girl talked about her boyfriend. The color job was OK but when I asked the girl to trim my bangs at eye level, she cut them well above my eyebrows!! I had to wait a month to get them back at their regular length. I could have gotten that quality service at super cuts. This place is WAY overpriced, lacks any sense of professionalism, and I'm suprised that it is still in business. Any good reviews about this salon must be from people who work there because no one who regularly gets their hair done would be impressed with this place. Hopefully I will find a place were the stylists actually care about giving clients great service more than how much of a tip they are going to get at the end. Pros: Nice location Cons: Lack of good service, young immature stylists more

service was horrible, inexperience, dirty, puchsed products, got me wet, pulled my hair, was trash talking about the owner, and seemed like she was on something. Cons: all more

I love Aveda and have been to many of their Concept Spa's & Salons. This one was truly a lackluster experience. I might well have gone to supercuts. When trying to make my appointment I tried calling several times when they were ""scheduled opened"" no one answered. My clue to move on however I finally reach a voice on the other end and made my appointment. I reviewed their Website w/ service sheet and they promise a 6 sensory experience included in every service. I got tea after the girl dissappeared for 15 minutes and returned empty handed then remembered and went back to get my tea...it was stone cold. A foot bath? Then? There was nothing of the kind....Im still waiting. A hand relief treatment was a 60 second hand rub...from the receptionist who looked bored and couldnt finish fast enough. Thanks.Essential Oil scalp or neck & shoulder massage. Again..Im still waiting..Nothing like that in my exeperience. I got my Shampoo & conditioning but I was also getting my hair cut & highlighted so that comes standard. I did get my style (I got) and Make up touch up that didnt apply as i was a guy...I also only had only on person work on me the whole time if you exclude the receptionist. yet it says services are performed by multiple team members....hmmm. The Girl who cut and highlighted my hair was actuallty really nice however She didnt highlight my hair like I had requested and missed the whole back section. She never offered to show me the back of my hair I finally had to ask for a mirror and was like what the hell? Ive been here for two hours..I was just finished.When I paid I didnt TIP..only cause It says PLEASE NO TIPPING on their website..So I didnt. They totally snubbed their nose at me. NOT AS ADVERTISED is right. I left and when I got to my car I was not happy so I called. They gave me the run around about fixing my hair. MY BIGGEST PET PEAVE. They did not provide anything close to what they PROMISED. So I will never go back. Trying ADARA in PG next time. -CHRIS Pros: Its AVEDA PRODUCT and Location Cons: doesn't seem to really care whether I was happy or not. more

Mantra is the third salon I tried when moving to the area. I have not needed to search any further for fabulous service, style, and environment. You cannot ask for a better location in Carmel between darling shops and a court yard with inviting water fountain and garden of flowers. When you walk into the salon you immediately feel as if you are in a beauty refuge including eclectic music, vibrant hues, and the intoxicating smell of an Aveda salon. The staff is cordial, polite, and personable. I am impressed with the style and look of my hair every time! I?m always treated to delicious tea, an amazing hand massage, and great service throughout my experience! I love the experience I get every time and look forward to the next appointment! This salon and experience is not something that should be taken for granted! With excellent ownership, you really feel as if Mantra truly wants to provide first class service and experiences. I highly recommend this salon and trust in an amazing product and service every time! more

I wanted to clear up a few things that Not as advertised wrote. First off the staff does not get $55 a hair cut. They get a hourly rate which is around $14. No matter what service is preformed. The tip thing is standard in every salon across the planet. So if you are so appoled by this behavior you need a serious wake up call!!!! The staff are very apprecitve for what the recieve from there customers. Also if you have a problem with someone talking about our savyor you need to find Jesus as well. Good Luck to you in your future search for a new salon.. more

A year ago I lost my hairstylist to a lower cost of living part of the state and had been looking for a new salon. I had heard about Mantra and decided to try it. I highly recommend this salon! The staff is professional, curteous and the best I've seen in years. When you first walk in you're greeted and offered tea. You have the option of changing into a robe to protect your clothing. Most of all, I was very happy with both my color and haircut - so many other stylists had overlayered my fine hair, but Mantra got it right! And they have a great selection of Aveda products. I really can't think of anything negative to say about the place. Although it would be nice if the city of Carmel had more generous parking policies! Pros: Talented and curteous staff Cons: Carmel has limited parking more

I am an Aveda junkie. I wanted to find a new Aveda salon for my hair services when I began working in Monterey. I found Mantra online and, well, what you get is NOT what you see online. First of all, as another reviewer said, there is no ""relaxing footbath"" (or whatever they call it on their website)... and the hand massage is only sometimes. Second, and what really chapped my hide, the ""Please, no tipping"" that is also posted to their site AND the pdf of their menu of service has gone out the window. I didn't tip on my first couple of visits as per the online instructions, but then finally noticed that there were little envelopes near the front desk that were marked with ""Thank you for your gratuity."" So, not only isn't there a no-tipping policy, but they actually solicit tips, a practice that I have never before seen at a salon! I felt like I'd been had! I eventually started tipping, but did so grudgingly, as part of the reason that I chose the place was for a $55 haircut with no hassling with factoring in extra money. This set the stage for me to want to find another salon, but what really got me to look harder for a new place was the chatter that I heard among hairstylists there, both amongst themselves and with their clients. First of all, on one of my visits, the stylists were talking about how they don't buy Aveda products for their own use because they are so expensive... this coming from the people who are getting AT LEAST $55 per cut (plus tip, don't forget!) AND who are working in a place that sells exclusively Aveda products. Weird. The worst, though, was sitting next to a stylist on two separate visits who went on and on and on and on about finding Jesus. With one of her clients, this talk even progressed to verbally insulting persons of Muslim faith because they had not found Jesus. I swear that this is not a joke. I heard it. I didn't say anything about this behavior, and I regret it, but I am at least taking my business elsewhere from now on. Pros: nice atmosphere Cons: no parking, young & inexperienced staff, not as advertised more

At the suggestion of a friend, I tried out Mantra. The spa itself is gorgeous, but the staff is inexperienced and unprofessional. The owner is great, but the other hair stylists are very young, and could use a few more years of experience before being brought on as stylists in such an ""upscale"" salon in Carmel. I agree with other reviewers on here that the end results were not worth the price. I got a couple of hair cuts and highlights with one stylists, and each time her quality got worse. The last time I went to the salon, I left with ""skunk"" highlights that looked worse than self-box dying. On top of that, the stylist could not do a blow-dry to save her life, and I always left with my hair wet or half dry, which turned into a frizzy mess the minute I stepped out of the salon. Pros: beautiful location, gorgeous salon Cons: horrible, inexperienced staff more

I absolutely loved this salon! The people that worked there were very friendly, the salon was beautiful and relaxing, and the service was excellent. Two weeks ago, I got a full highlight and haircut--both of which turned out exactly how I wanted. I am extremely satisfied and happy with my experience. I will be a returning customer. more

no bad thoughts about this place. good staff, good value. great for parties! the staff was educated and knowledgable. i have full confidence in this salon! more

Mantra used to be really good. For a reasonable price, I got a scalp and shoulder massage, shampoo, haircut, rinse, hand massage, and foot bath/massage. The whole process took an hour. The satff was friendly and the owner was on top of things. Cons: quality has gone down, prices too high, staff is rude more

We tried this place and the prices and staff are terrible. I can't say much else... It's not even worth the words at this point. Cons: rude, no parking more

All we can say is awful, overpriced and very rude. The staff needs to learn how to do hair color here..... Cons: no parking, rude, prices more

While walking through the doors of Mantra you immediately enter a world of tranquility. The ambience is warm and welcoming. You are greeted as you walk in and a comforting herbal tea awaits you as you browse through their wonderful selection of products. Each staff member brings their own uniqueness and it is evident in the professionalism that is exhibited during your experience. The stylists do an amazing job. The haircuts are precise with the customers desires and I myself have never left feeling unsatisfied with my own. The prices are justified with the added services you recieve; a stress relieving scalp massage prior, and a hand massage during your haircut. Nothing negative can be said about such a ""jewel"". If you are in search of the style and glamour of the big city than Carmel and Mantra is your destination of choice. Pros: Staff, Haircut, Prices more