Akari

this was the best massage of my life! cant remember the last time I felt so great. the aches and pains gone! and the free & private steam/shower..love it. thanks shahida! you rock! more

Hands down the most amazing hair cuts and facials in the New England area. Akari is three floors of heaven and delight. Beautiful decor and intelligent staff, unique! more

After visiting several salons with disappointing results, I selected Akari for coloring and a cut to repair previously bad haircuts. The staff promptly greeted me and made sure to attend to my every wish. My color came out perfectly and the cut is exceptional, They even made time for me to have an unscheduled pedicure. I felt like I was coming home, very relaxing and profrssional. I could not recommend them more highly, they are definitely THE BEST!! more

The first time I went to Akari it was daunting for sure, prices are a little higher than I was used to and I had heard mixed reviews. However, I was greeted by everyone when I walked in. No one hovered over me while I walked around the store and they were helpful with my questions. When I went up for my haircut I was really excited. Genevieve was really patient while I explained what I wanted and gave a lot of good advice as to what my hair could and could not achieve and told me why we may have to tweak something (I have some misbehaving Cowlicks). When I left there I felt confident that I could style my hair at home, i didn't leave feeling like I'd never be able to re-achieve what she had created. Plus, I realized that no other salon I had gone to before had really taken the time to listen and work with me to find the look that will work for me. Thank you. more

Looking at all the reviews here, I would be willing to bet that most are fake. All of them review ONLY Akari (and never another review), or they review Akari negatively and a competing salon positively... And that's it. No restaurant reviews, no reviews of other businesses, etc. My guess is that if ANY of these "customers" actually went there and had the problem that they did, a simple phone call to the desk with a request for the owner or desk manager would have resolved it. Akari's staff works hard - let them prove it to you themselves, instead of listening to these most likely fake reviews. Pros: Professional and knowledgeable staff, great product lines Cons: Pretty expensive, considering area more

I wish i could remomend Akari, its in a beautiful building in the Old Port. Unfortunately the salon area is very cold and uninviting. they are very over priced for the work they do. I have lived all over this country and been to many high end spas and salons- i was treated better in the salons in Beverly Hills and I don't look like I have money. Akari was a bit rude. Here I am in down to earth Maine and here I am treated like i don't matter at Akari. They need to learn how to treat their clients better. I asked for ABSOLUTELY NO RED IN MY COLOR AND I WALKED OUT A RED HEAD. Then I was told it wasn't possible to get my hair the color the way I wanted (then how has everyone else in the industry been able to do it before?) They did fix it no charge but i just wouldnt go back because I have never felt to akward and uncomfortable in a salon. You guys at Akari need to learn how to make your clients feel appreciated and comfortable. I am always happy to spend top dollar for my hair and skin- but not at Akari Pros: Great Products-thats it Cons: POOR CUSTOMER SERVCE more

I have been going to Akari for many years....Jeffrey does a wonderful color and Chhoueon a super cut....I'm very happy with the service there....always friendly..... Pros: Love the color and cut more

Worst haircut in my life and I paid top dollar!!!!!!Do yourself a favor and go to any other salon except Akari. I felt uncomfortable in the salon as the staff was snotty and extremly non friendly. I hated my hair when I left. I had just a simple trim and layers. Before dyring my hair, the stylist asked me if I liked the layers or wanted more. I could not decide if I trusted him to cut more as I was not really happy in the first place. While I was deciding if I needed more layers his exact words to me "you need to hurry up and decide I have another client waiting"!! My face literally turned red with furry and I said nope it's fine and walked out of the booth. If I wanted that type of service and quality I would have gone to a super cuts or something. I paid top dollar for a poor hair cut and terrible service. I did call to complain and got a apologetic sorry. I wanted my money back!!! I will never...never go there as long as I live. If the cut was great that would be another story but it was horrible....Save your money and go elsewhere!!! Pros: cafe Cons: noisy, crowded, poor cut and service, snotty employees more

Absolutely do no recommend Akari. Only been there once and will not go back. NO only did they over charge me and refused to refund my money until the manager called me three days later after realizing they did make the error, my pedi was terrible. The atmosphere was snotty. No one greated me, showed me around or even acknowledged I was there. I felt akward and out of place. Not exactly the service I expect when I am paying their higher than average prices. After reading the other horrible reviews on this salon I don't feel so bad. Trust me, don't pay their high prices thinking you might get high quality because they can't bring it!! more

Been to Akari several times for diferent treatments. If you have your hair cut and colored you have two different people who don't seem to communicate very well, and many times I have ended up waiting around with a wet head for my haircut. The colorists there to put it gently fried my hair, and there seems to be a great turnover of hair cutters. I would get used to one person and he/she would leave and end up with someone new and not familiar at all with my hair. I had a good massage therapist there but she has since left as well. Michelle who does facials, etc. is wonderful, I will continue to go to her.... Pros: Parking is validated more

I tried Akari when I first moved to Portland from New York, not knowing where else to go. I should have followed my gut after calling to book the appointment. The place seemed nice, well set up, a nice boutique. It could be a great place. I however, have been to much more prestigious salons, with much more talented staff that made me feel more comfortable and welcome. It felt a bit stuffy and uptight. The staff, while pretty informed about the products, seemed like customer service was a chore. My cut and color were performed by two different people, neither of which seemed to communicate well with the other. It felt choppy and mediocre. The final outcome, was fair to average, not at all what I would expect from a place that seemed to pride themselves in being so metro and chic!! I was definately disappointed! I feel like I could have obtained a similar style going to a salon in a mall for a fraction of the price! Pros: Good products, nice setup and boutique Cons: Stiff, uptight atmosphere, definately didn't receive what I paid for!! more

I go to Akari for cuts and the occasional spa treatment. Every haircut has been perfect (the first time I went I was pleasantly surprised at how my hair could look so good!). The stylists all really seem like they know what they are doing yet they listen to what you say. A few of my friends who go here, too, always love the way their hair turns out. Everyone is really knowledgeable and helpful about haircare. Even the front desk staff is always willing to help me out when I have questions. I definitely reccomend this place. Pros: experienced staff, relaxing atmosphere, worth the price Cons: parking, pricey more

I have never seen such a knowledgable and talented staff. I feel welcome everytime I visit Akari and always look fabulous. I have told all my friends about this place and they have all started to have there services here also. The environment is very fun and also relaxing. I would highlly recommend anyone to visit Akari! more

This is the worst haircut of my life! The woman who cut my hair didn't listen to a word I said. I had to wait 2 months before it had grown out enough to fix. The salon I went to said they had never seen such an awful job. My stylist said it looked like the woman had made a big mistake and then cut off more and more of my hair to try and hide it. If you are thinking about going to Akari, my advice is DON"T! Cons: Terrible cut, Snooty atmosphere more

I look awful! I feel like they didn't listen to what I wanted and gave me a style that wouldn't look good on anyone-- like they had no idea what they were doing! The worst part is I don't even think it's fixable so I just have to wait for it to grow out. They were all very nice, which just made it more difficult to say how I felt about it but, jeez, you expect your stylist to have a sense of style... Pros: nice waiting area, personable staff Cons: terrible cut, staff didn't listen more