Akari Wellness Beauty Style

¹²⁄₂₉ — spa day with Logan (signature facial for me, 90-​minute couples massage together, lunch at the bistro, signature pedicures together)
Recommended by our hotel (The Press Hotel), I ignored all huge range of reviews here on Unilocal and I’m glad I did. Today was one of the best spa experienced I’ve ever had. Also, it was my husband’s first «spa day» experience and he was very delighted.
I started with a facial with Sondra. She was very friendly, delighted to chat with, and open to answering questions the whole time. Afterward, my skin was clearer and brighter than even during my childhood.
My husband wasn’t interested in a facial, so he lounged, read magazines, and enjoyed hot tea. After my facial, we had a couples massage. I was with Alexandra and my husband was with Lisa. Both ladies were wonderful, friendly, intelligent — the best massage experience I’ve ever had.
After that, we moved to the bistro for lunch, which we ordered before our massage so that it would be ready when we were done. The meal was fresh, tasty, and hit the spot. After that, we moved in for the final part of our day — pedicures. Both of the ladies who worked on our feet were friendly and talented (their names are escaping me right now).
Overall, our experience was friendly, supportive, welcoming, and wonderful. The only thing that I wish was different was that prices for products were more clearly labeled and their receipts were itemized. I ended up buying a few products that I knew were expensive (I checked out the company’s website afterward), but it would be nice to know how much we spent on everything item by item.
The most important thing is that we both had a wonderful time and will definitely be coming back.

Very expensive manicure especially since there was no hand massage. I noticed the color was streaky after I left and the tips were not painted. Nice staff but not worth all that money.

I received a treatment at the med spa. The cost shocked me when I got to the register. If they had told me the cost in advance, as they should have, I never would have agreed to it. I was told that the results would last for 2 years. If so, it might have been worth the price. They did not last for 2 months. You get what you pay for? NOT in the case of Akari. Save your money. Besides, the owner is sex harasser.

I’m a late 30s androgynous lesbian who came of age in the punk scene and I’ve now sold out and have a professional career that doesn’t let me have the awesome hair I used to sport, which puts me in the position of wanting a haircut that doesn’t get me into trouble but also isn’t boring. At Akari I have found a stylist who is amazing at experimental haircuts and always has ideas that are comfortable for my performance of gender. Folks here generally are super nice and professional, the space is lovely, and I cannot say enough nice things.
Go here, you will leave looking fabulous.

I was a client of Akari for a long time. However, over the years I’ve felt the business has been unraveling at the seams. First off, I never liked that they were always trying SO hard to get attention by parading young women around for their «shows», which included «models» and staff hanging out in the median outside the salon (or in the windows) in cutesy, revealing outfits. I think it’s an inappropriate and TACKY way to get attention.
That said, the staff are constantly revolving. People who work there come and go and I’ve not been able to have to same stylists I’ve grown to like. What’s even more frustrating is, the front desk stopped informing me when my stylist quit. They just stuck me with a new girl without even telling me! It made for a very awkward appointment. Because there are ALWAYS new stylists, I felt like I was not receiving the highest level of color and cutting skills that Akari prides themselves on offering.
The hair stylists are separated from the colorists. This made it a challenge trying to get an appointment for BOTH cut and color. Not to mention that Akari doesn’t work WITH you; they tell YOU when a colorist will see you and when a stylist will see you. I’ve had to wait around in their store «shopping», wasting precious time in my day. They didn’t seem to care if that was inconvenient for me or not.
They call the salon a place for «Wellness and beauty», but I have to disagree! Sure they do Botox and massages, but what really set the tone for the environment there was stressed out, unhappy faces. I think, because I had been going there for years, that I thought that must be normal– But it’s not.
After a while, Akari’s heavy mood, pretentious attitude, and cold atmosphere was just too much to take. There are SO many other places in the greater Porltand area with people who are pleasant, value your business, AND give good customer service; Akari is not one of them.

I was in town for some personal business from Chicago and found some time for a cut and color (I made the appointment while still in Chicago). I had a great experience at Akari!!! My color is exactly what I wanted and my cut was PERFECT! I work in a law office and two of my male attorney’s complimented me on my hair this week (among several of my lady friends and co-​workers). Thanks Akari!!!

Overpriced, and the staff more focused on up selling than listening to and making their customer happy. I have been going to Akari on and off for 15 years. I am done. If you go in for a massage, they push a lifestyle coach on you. If you go in for a facial, they try to get you to get a aging assessment. I wind up trying it, and then you are in a situation where you are getting sold on something you are not interested in. It is ingratiating, uncomfortable, and annoying.
Very few of the staff are down to earth. Many have a «perfume» of fakeness and arrogance. I go to Boston and NYC regularly and I am amazed by the «airs» at Akari compared to what you get for the $. One girl at Akari seems to spring up everywhere repeating, «you are going to LOVE your results»!!! You might have to have been there — but trust me, she was kinda creepy and insincere.
I will miss the space. The architect/​interior designer (s) did an amazing job on this space. The people and business philosophy that are in it are slippery and arrogant.
Hair isn’t a bad deal at Akari, and I haven’t had a bad experience with the stylists, but I am done with the atmosphere of the whole place. You can get great cut at several other salons in downtown Portland or near the shopping SoPO and Scarborough. I just got an amazing cut at Bei Capelli. They were down to earth (no fakeness here), no weird pushy upselling, and parking right outside the building.

I’ve been going to Akari for 4 years now and honestly can not recommend a better salon and spa in Portland. They have become like a second family!
I do my hair, cuts, color, massage, facials, nails — every service is so personable and high quality.
Their points system is a nice perk for repeat customers like me and saves hundreds of $ per year.

My wife and I visit Portland once a year and have had a couples massage at Akari at least half a dozen times. While the salon area downstairs is a little hoity-​toity for this guy’s guy’s taste, once you’re way upstairs in the massage rooms all is well. We’ve found that the massage therapists here are very good and are strong and skilled enough to give a good deep-​tissue massage without beating you up. We’ve never had a bad experience here and the prices are in-​line (if not a little better) than the other spas in the Old Port area.

I feel compelled to write a review about my experience at Akari, mostly because of the reactions I’ve gotten to my new haircut! This was the only time I’ve been to Akari, but I had a gift card I needed to use and I was desperate for a haircut. I had an appointment with D, who is awesome. She saw me, had an idea for my hair right away and talked it through with me because it was something different– I said go for it, and an hour later I had a super cute new style that has been getting raves. D also cut my wife’s hair right before me and did a great job. I would definitely go to her again!

AWESOME. So, this is definitely one of the more expensive salons in Portland, but I truly believe you get what you pay for. You know when you go to get your hair did and you’re not totally sure what you want and you have a really hard time articulating it to the stylist and then you walk out not looking anything like your vision? Well, that would never, ever happen here. The stylists know exactly what questions to ask– they will make you think about aspects of your hair, routine, product, etc., you never even knew to think about. They will MAKE SURE you are on the exact same page– in fact, the same word on the same page– before they clip and/​or color. They really care. Specifically, Colorist Brooke and Stylist D are amazing, but I get the feeling everyone here rocks. I had a pretty extreme color treatment done, and Brooke called me the next morning to make sure I was feeling 100% confident about my new ‘do. She encouraged me to come back for any sort of modification if I had any apprehensions. Love, love, love. So worth it. Go.