Salon 117 & Essence Day Spa

Nice and clean spa, friendly stuff. Give yourself couple of extra minutes to find parking)

Came here because I saw a groupon deal for the 90 minute hot stone massage. Had the massage with Tom and it was fantastic. The oils used were fragrance free and the stones used were very hot, just the way i like it. The massage was very relaxing and wish i could describe more of it, but it was so good that i fell asleep and can’t remember much beyond waking feeling all my sore points gone. They have a little waiting room where you can fill out your questionnaire and drink a little tea, coffee, or water and have some trail mix. They also have a small changing room with lockers so that you can lock up your stuff if you prefer. There is a shower in the changing room, along with some hair products. I didn’t feel rushed and I felt so pampered. The groupon deal is such a steal and you get 15% off the next service you book. The only reason this isn’t 5 stars is because I wish the light in the room was a little dimmer. i did get an eye cover pretty quickly, but it would be nice to just be a little dimmer too. I like to be really warm so at one point with socks on when i sleep type thing, i think my feet were sticking out of the blanket even though they weren’t being worked on so it sort of bothered me, but not enough to say anything about it. I’ve had a massage (I think swedish and hot stone) from other places where they do a little stretching and pulling and if this is incorporated into the massage i got, i think i would be in heaven.

I am extremely particular when it comes to someone cutting my hair. I am mixed white and Asian and my hair reflects that [i.e. it doesn’t hold color/​the body/​texture]. I also really appreciate when I mention that I want three inches off and they only cut three inches then ask if I would like more [versus cutting off ⁴⁄₅ inches].
I had been looking for a new stylist and when I listened to my best friend [and her entire family] I came across Katie S and she is AMAZING. She totally understands hair and you can tell from the gate. When she was touching my hair she already understood my concerns and was great about sticking to them. She is knowledgeable and gives an amazing hair cut. I have been to her a handful of times now and I am really thankful I found her! I would recommend her to anyone and everyone!
Also, got my hair done by another Katie [long blond hair — sorry didn’t get last name!] this past weekend for a wedding. She was also great! Showed her a few photos of what I was thinking and she executed perfectly. She was also mentioning how the owner of the salon pays for them to have a good amount of training and actually brings the training in house. I am happy to hear that the stylists are getting all the latest and greatest because it makes our cuts and styles as clients that much better.
Quick note: bring cash for tip!

I’ve been a client since Salon 117 opened its doors. Great atylists, and high quality products, eapecially hair color. I appreciate that they aren’t pushy about the products, though. The day spa has good facials. Parking on the atreeg isn’t advisable — free parking underground is a better bet. Highly recommend!

Although you probably can’t tell, I am very particular about who comes near my eyebrows with wax, thread, or scissors. I have a fear of someone inexperienced butchering these caterpillars. I’m not trying to pencil in any eyebrow lines until at least the ripe age of eighty.
Salon 117 & Essence Day Spa, which is located in downtown Arlington Heights, is a frequent choice when my eyebrows need maintenance. I return to Ronella, time and time again, to tame my brows. Ronella sure knows how to shape a girls brows.
Yes, an eyebrow waxing will run you about $ 18 before tip, but I’d much rather pay $ 18, than $ 10 at some rinky dink nail salon where they may leave about five hairs to each eyebrow and cause your entire brow line to break out. No thank you. You get what you pay for. When it comes to waxing at Salon 117, you’re getting top quality products. They use bamboo sticks for application. Their wax is organic. They also have sugar wax, which I request in between my brows where I am more sensitive. You don’t find that everywhere.
In addition to waxings, I have also received massages, which were quite relaxing. I have yet to have my hair or nails done at this salon, so I can neither recommend or steer away from those services, but I do know that whatever service you choose at Salon 117 you will be getting top quality products and service. And if a facial or waxing is what you seek, I can confidently send you Ronella’s way. Go on, pamper yourself. When you’re done pampering, make a beeline for Pure Juice, in the lot across the street, to slurp up some healthy goodness.

Had a great experience at this salon. I saw Jessie for a highlight and cut… it came out perfect. I am new to the area and have frizzle, curly hair, so it is hard for me to find the right stylist. Jessie is amazing, I will be going back!

Kathleen is no longer at Salon 117 :(
I’m still looking for the next great pedicure!

I got a cut and style today at Salon 117; the salon is very spacious and overall I thought it was a very beautiful salon. It’s probably one of the biggest salons i’ve been to in a while; alot of staff so it didn’t feel rushed or anything. They do mani/​pedis, massages, facials, and hair cuts/​color. I might try a facial there next time.
My stylist Val was great; the shampoo job was so relaxing! The cut was exactly as I asked (my biggest fear is stylists taking off way more length than I asked for, and Val took off exactly what I asked for), and she took the time to style it a bit too. The prices are quite reasonable; I would be charged about ¹⁄₃ more at a much smaller salon I used to frequent.
Overall the staff are very nice and accommodating, i’ll be coming again!
On a side note, it’s also walking distance to downtown Arlington Heights, which is a big plus! Brunch then haircut? Haircut then shopping?
PS They don’t usually take credit card for tips, so bring some cash for that!

I’ve had overall pleasant experiences at Salon 117. I have yet to get a massage there, but I’ve gotten my hair, nails, and waxing done there. I tested out a few stylists, but my favorite is Christa. She does superb work and is such a sweetheart!
I think the one thing that perhaps keeps me from giving them 5 stars is the gossiping and immaturity of some of the other stylists. I’ve overheard them talking about personal issues, and it’s really not the place and time to do so. Otherwise, I think it’s a great place!

What a wonderful salon!
Friendly staff, relaxing atmosphere, and clean.
I’ve gotten facials and waxing treatments here — both of which have been outstanding. (and that’s coming from someone who is hesitant about those trypes of things!) Everything was comfortable and lovely.
I’d definitely recommend.

I really like this salon, primarily due to Keri, one of their stylists. Everytime I gave gone to her, she listens carefully and gives me perfect cuts and color. She duplicated a picture that I brought in using highlights and regular color. I am hard to color, and she got it right away. It is not the cheapest salon, though totally worth it.

Granted — I’m waiting til the last day for the appointment but geesh this salon is about a three on the customer service measurement.
Groupon holders beware — if you can book an appt do it today.

I had a pleasant experience here. I came here with a Groupon, and although the salon is out of the way for me, I’m in the area several times a year.
I had a mini stress massage and thought it was good. As the previous reviewer wrote, it was a «rub down», but this is the type of a massage that will actually relax you. I’ve had very many massages, most of them deep pressure and deep tissue, and I know that the more intensive massage the more your muscles have to work (mine tend to resist by tightening, which makes me become very ticklish). Today, all I needed was a relaxing massage to start off my weekend. The therapist focused on the area that needed most tension relief and offered some tips to relieve discomfort on my own. I really appreciated the fact that my massage lasted the full 30 minutes, even though I ended up being about 10 minutes late (a tip if you’ve never been here: there is a parking garage off Evergreen Ave where you can park for 3 hours for free).
I also had a pedicure and it was nice. The technician had a really pleasant personality, but did not try to chat me up when she saw that I just wanted to chill. This was a spa pedicure, but I felt that it was missing something. Aromatherapy bath salts, maybe? She did a good job on my nails.
Overall, good experience, but I would not pay full price for the services. I will most likely not be back– I was probably the youngest person there, so it is definitely not my vibe. Also, not a deal breaker, but their waiting room is in a funky spot — they have a few chairs set up in a hallway across from what looks to be a utility closet.

It’s always intimidating to go to a ‘salon’ to get your haircut as a dude when I’ve been going to a barber for over 30 years, but I decided to go at the request of my fiancée. I was pleasantly surprised. The staff was friendly and I had a good experience. It was really affordable also. I’ve been back and will be back. The stalls where you get your haircut were somewhat private so you are not in a big room with everyone staring at you. They offer a men’s haircut for $ 31 which includes a shampoo and cut. Enjoy.

I was having a hard time finding a nail salon that wasn’t one of those cheap strip mall places. I also refuse to go to Mario Tricoci. That place is overpriced and needs a good renovation. (Their pedicure stations look run down)
I remembered that Salon 117 was in the downtown Arlington Heights area. I took a chance and gave them a call today. Luckily, their nail technician, Chris, had a late afternoon opening.
I explained to Chris that I was in the process of growing out my nails because of the damage I received at my last «professional» pedicure (as discussed in a previous post). I have had to cut my toenails down, periodically, because of the chop job that someone did on my nail/​cuticle. She took a look at it and explained what she would be doing to help the situation. She also told me that she thought that the nail would be back to normal by spring… just in time for my wedding!
Chris did an amazing job. She helped me to pick out a perfect fall color, for my skin tone.
I was so impressed that I booked my manicure and pedicure, with her, for my upcoming wedding.
Thanks Chris!!!

Looking for a pedicure in the Northwest suburbs. The prices were reasonable, the service — good. No violent tools used to push back cuticles. Polish choices — excellent. Chris does a good job.