The five-star hotel’s new luxury mani-pedi lounge is the latest addition to its portfolio of premium pampering
Looking polished is all about the details, whether it’s the silhouette of a perfectly tailored outfit, the subtle shine of delicate bracelet, or groomed brows to frame the face. All of these are important, but there are few things that can take things up a notch better than a set of impeccably manicured nails; we’re talking strong and smooth, trimmed and, if painted, then certainly never chipped.
The art of the painted nail is increasingly becoming a talking point, with the gold standard for manicure services inching ever higher. And in Hong Kong, nail bars are plentiful, of course. But when the Four Seasons throws their chapeau into the ring, we perk up and throw up our poor, tired hands in delight. Could this five-star hotel hold, at last, the nail bar of our dreams?
Located on the sixth floor of the Four Seasons, the salon is situated just shy of the entrance to the rooftop pool, in a small but comfortable room discretely tucked to the left. A comfortable L-shaped sofa hugs one corner, where you can lounge while you wait for your treatment to begin. Of course, the biggest pull of this particular nail bar is its unrivalled views out towards Victoria Harbour – the seats are positioned so that you can gaze at the sea, rather than at your hands, or at the walls. The pedicure treatment chairs are also a treat, allowing you to recline into buttery soft leather while enjoying the full vista in front of you.
The Nail Bar has also recently launched Nail Social, targeted at women who wish to bring their friends to do treatments at the same time. We received a little taster of this on our visit, meaning we were treated to free-flow champagne and a three-tiered afternoon tea set during the course of our manicures.
In terms of the selection of polishes available at the moment, it is a growing library that mixes the tried-and-tested (OPI, CND Shellac, Deborah Lippmann) with the trendy and new (Azature, Christina Fitzgerald). While choosing from the kaleidoscope of colours, my therapist Bee began the treatment by the traditional soak-and-scrub to get rid of dead skin, followed by an efficient and thorough trimming of cuticles, buffing and filing. At this point, most nail bars might charge straight to the polish, but the Four Seasons adds on a rather deliciously decadent “Porcelain Cream Masque” (which includes nourishing ingredients such as soy milk extract, coconut oil, rosehip fruit powder extract and green tea leaf extract), and an invigorating hand and arm massage.
Having settled on a vibrant cerulean blue shade from CND to last me through a few weeks of intense travel, Bee set to work, diligently applying each layer to create a flawless finish. The end result is on the thicker side, but ultimately it paid off as my nails stayed chip-free and gloriously glossy. The Nail Bar guarantees that the Shellac polish will stay immaculate for up to two weeks; by this time, my nails had grown out to leave an unattractive ‘root’ of unpolished surface, but were otherwise perfect.
Of course, the Nail Bar also offers nail art (HK$110-150 per nail) – another fad that shows no sign of letting down – but be sure to call ahead and put in your request, as not all of the therapists are trained in the art at the moment and those that are may be unavailable at the time of your desired appointment.
The price of it all? It is, as expected, a handsome sum – but one that you see is paid out throughout the entire experience. A luxury manicure treatment starts from HK$700 (weekdays) for 60 minutes, and costs an extra HK$70 on weekends. Shellac is priced at HK$920 for 75 minutes, and an extra HK$70 on weekends. Savvy regulars will be able to enjoy discounts when buying treatment packages.
For more information, please visit the Four Seasons Nail bar
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