Reviews of The DuDa Spa (Spa)

Michelle Boisvert

It was my first time going to DuDa Spa. Having high hopes of a signature "spa" pedicure, but leaving disappointed. The lady giving the pedicure was very nice, and did do a nice job but wasn't any different than your normal nail salon pedicure...The stated hour and twenty minute treatment only lasted 50 minutes and there was no extended massage. The hot stones were warm, and the warm towels were cold. When I had called to speak to a manager, I mentioned I just was kindly letting her know how I felt and wasn't expecting to be compensated just wanted to tell her I didn't feel like I got a spa treatment for a $100 (included tip) pedicure. She instead of apologizing, got defensive and was quite rude. She told me that she would talk to the lady who gave me the pedicure and would call me back the following day, and here it is 4 days later with no response. As a new client to the salon, I felt like she did not treat me well and didn't care for the business, I will certainly not be returning. **Before my pedicure I did receive an underarm wax where my hair was not long enough to actually wax, and they did not charge me for this which I did appreciate. The lady who did the underarm wax was very friendly and tried her best. This review does not reflect the underarm wax.

Kathryn Rand

Awful. Owner Deena Berry, denied that my husband purchased a massage and facial package even though I showed her the receipt! She said that it must be a mistake and said that she couldn't fit me in. I ended up paying for a facial. The robe she gave me was wet and she was put out to get me another. There are plenty of other places in Portsmouth who offer 100% better service.

Crystal

Had a great 2 day spa treatment. First day was a 90min Deep tissue massage with mani & pedi. The massage was great! (Wanda I believe) I actually had to tell her less pressure. I'm usually always saying more pressure with past experiences from other places. The mani was best I've ever had. The pedi was also excellent. (Both given by Gretchen) Next I had a facial and haircut. Gretchen did a great job with my hair. I love it and it feels great. She gave me exactly what I wanted, listened and understood to what I felt my hair was doing. She gave me a ton of recommendations and new products. My hair feels great! Better than it has in MONTHS! The facial was great, not what I'm normally used to, but it was still good. Can't remember the gals name, but she was very nice. Other places I've gone used soft, silky brushes and hands to apply products and massage onto skin. They also included scalp, hand, foot and shoulder massage during treatment. During the facial I received only shoulder massage was given and the one time a brush was used it felt coarse on my face. Made me want to grind my teeth. The facial was also a gift, so I have no idea what was purchased. I just showed up. :) My skin feels and looks clear and rejuvenated though! I would definitely recommend this place and will be returning. Facility was very clean.

Michaela Drivas

I went to Du Da Spa for my wedding hair color, makeup and hair styling. Everything was incredible and exactly what I wanted!!! Crystal, Kate and Deena were all amazing along with the entire staff! It was exactly what I was looking for!

Alan Henderson

Just great.

Cheryl Patten

The spa is done in a Moroccan style and completely warm, tranquil and inviting. Lots of low light and sort of a gold and amber palette. I always have a massage, salt scrub and the “steamy wonder” treatment. Total bliss and relaxation. The massage therapists and front end staff are all friendly, welcoming and professional. The parking lot is small but I’ve never failed to get a spot. Highly recommend!

Stephanie Cummings

I planned a visit to the spa with a friend for a girls day. This was both of our first time at the spa. I booked from CT where I live. The spa was easy to contact and book with. Upon arriving they were very friendly. I had a deep tissue massage with April and it was AMAZING. I would highly recommend this location if looking to have a massage treatment in the Portsmouth NH area.

Russ Benoit

My wife and I booked a couples massage at the spa and it was absolutely fantastic. Both massage therapists spoke with us beforehand about any concerns and areas we would like them to focus on, and they took great care to complete those requests. The atmosphere was very relaxing and the staff was so welcoming. Definitely one of the better and more relaxing massages we've had.

Danielle Hansen

I had an amazing experience at Duda Spa! I was getting my hair cut from very long to very short and was incredibly nervous about it, but my beautician Lani eased my worries and gave me an AMAZING short cut! She spent extra time with me because she knew what a dramatic change this was, and did everything in her power to make it perfect! The atmosphere and vibe allowed for a relaxing and memorable experience. Will definitely be going back!!

DeeDee Jenkins

I love working here! The owner truly cares about her customers unlike the corporate hotels with spas in them. I worked for a much bigger place, in a hotel and they cared about was the customer's money. They worked their employees to death! The Dudas owner has a nice balance here. I love the other girls that I work with too. We are a great team!

K Vaillancourt

Great massages and beautiful atmosphere

Stephanie Jones

Got curls? Go see Brittany! I've been to the Duda before for massages, facials, manis and pedis during weekend trips to Portsmouth. I had a great experience each time. The Duda is high end without being pretentious. This time I decided to try out the hair salon, and I'm so glad that I did! My regular hair stylist in Boston moved about two years ago, and since then I've been on the hunt for a new "regular". My hair is very curly and dry and so my options often come down to wearing it frizzy, or packing on the products and wearing it a bit crunchy. If you share my pain, go see Brittany at the Duda! She's fairly new to the salon but apparently brings great experience in color and managing hard-to-handle curls. She listened to what I wanted, offered her advice without being pushy, and even cut my layers in stages so that I could see the progress and confirm that 'we' were heading in the right direction throughout the entire appointment. I say "we" because it really felt like a collaboration. This was the first time in a long time that I left a salon feeling like I didn't need to head right home to restyle my hair. And since then I've received several compliments on the color and how full and healthy it looks. I'll be driving almost an hour back to Portsmouth in a couple of months for a another appt with Brittany - it's worth the trip!

Christina LaRoche

Jeri is amazing! Go for a relaxing massage - I drifted off to slumber!

Tom Sweeney

Ask for Geraldine. Soothing massage.

Elizabeth Kerr

The ladies at DuDa were amazing. They made me and my bridal party feel like we'd known them for ages and we were all just hanging out. The bridesmaid's hair looked AWESOME. Even though some of the girls were picky and particular the stylists were so flexible and accommodating. Plus the salon is large with lots of room for your group to set up breakfast, coffee, and whatever else. My wedding makeup was beautiful! I had never had my makeup done and she gave me the natural but glamorous look I wanted. You definitely pay more at this salon, but for the end result it is worth it. I do wish I had noticed that a hair consult is an extra cost. If you go in for a consultation, make sure to ask what they'll charge you for before getting the service trialed.

Nicholas Arnold

amazing stylists and owner

Angela Lambert Belanger

Dee did my manicure and pedicure for my wedding. She did a phenomenal job! She made sure I was happy with how everything looked and really took her time. Very happy with everything!

Ariana Sandillo

TLDR: Went to Duda Spa for two color consultations, had to go back two separate times post original appointment to get it fixed and still managed to leave with unkempt looking balayage. Also was charged for the products used to "fix" my hair the second time around. I will not be returning to this salon for any hair color appointments. If you cannot achieve a look a client is going for, or if it seems unrealistic to the client, PLEASE be up front with your customers so expectations do not fall flat. I had really high hopes for the Duda Spa after going there with a botched color job from a previous salon. I had consulted with both Deena, the owner, and Lani, the colorist, twice about the look I wanted for my hair; explaining in detail the look I was trying to achieve and providing photos of inspiration as back up. I'm VERY particular with my hair, which I let them know upfront. They explained the process to me and made me feel really comfortable with walking into a new salon and taking a risk. Lani even did a color strand test on my hair to make sure it would pull the right color. I felt very confident going into my appointment and my expectations were very high. Unfortunately the expectations died along with some strands of my hair. My original appointment was scheduled from 10-1. I didn't end up leaving the salon until after 3pm...and there were maybe two other clients in there the whole time I was there, so it wasn't like the salon was busy. It wasn't until after my appointment when my hair was blow-dried that I noticed instead of natural looking, sun kissed balayage highlights mixed in with my more natural looking base, I was left with 85% of my hair bleached yellow. When I arrived home I immediately called the salon and spoke with Deena regarding my concerns. Instead of listening to my concerns, she was very defensive and told me "maybe I'll like it if I wait a few days." I knew that wasn't going to be the case but I waited a few days before calling back to make an appointment to fix it. When I originally called to schedule an appointment to fix it, I was told that I was going to be charged for another full process. This is a huge flag in my book as I've never had a salon make me pay for a mistake that they made. Naturally I rebuttled, however it was settled that I would only pay $20 for the products used (this still made me very uncomfortable, but I'm not a confrontational person so I didn't press it). My appointment was schedule for this past Sunday and I made sure that Deena did my hair instead, as I felt more comfortable with a more seasoned stylist after my experience. Again, she talked me through the process of what she would be doing and I showed her the photo again of what I wanted. I thought I was going to be all set. Not the case. After my appointment I went home and examined my hair with a fine-tooth comb, and ended up having to go back to the salon to process again because I found SEVERAL careless mistakes...including harsh lines of demarcation where the balayaged pieces were, huge chunks of blonde in the front of my face and an overall not well-blended "fix." So I went back to the salon to have her fix the mistakes the second time around. After leaving the salon for the final time, there are still several pieces that aren't blended well, harsh lines of demarcation I keep finding popping up all over my head and just overall careless for the quality of what I wanted. I think it goes without saying that I will not be a returning customer to the Duda Spa.

Marci Morris

What a lovely afternoon! My daughter had a fabulous massage with Cathy who was amazingly thorough. And then we both had manicures with Deana. It was the best manicure I've ever had in my life! Such a nice experience. The people were very friendly and the vibe of the salon was super cute. Can't wait to go again the next time I'm visiting New Hampshire.

May Jean

Went there for a haircut to start off with the stylist being late, which wouldnt be a big deal but she didnt even acknowledge it by just apologizing. The chair she brought me to was covered in hair. She did notice this and instead of asking me to wait a moment to get it cleaned she just wiped some off with her hands- then continued without washing her hands before touching my hair. If that wasnt gross enough when she brought me to the sink to get my hair washed there was a large clump of black hair on the white sink that she picked off in front of me and, again, continued to just touch my hair- nasty. She even dropped the towel on the floor that you dry the hair with and didnt get a new clean on but put it back on my hair. The cut was ok but she didnt listen to what I wanted. Very disappointed for what should be a fairly upscale downtown Portsmouth salon. The place does have good potential and its clear the owner has invested a good deal, but the service and cleanliness was far poorer than even a budget salon (ie Smart Styles or Super Cuts).

Rachel Hughes

The Du Da Spa is amazing!! I had a terrible experience recently at another salon with my hair, totally messed up the color. I called the Du Da Spa to get an appointment to fix this, as I am in a wedding next week!! They got me an appointment within days of me calling!! My stylist really took her time to examine my hair, ask me questions and really talk to me about what I wanted out of this appointment. We ultimately did a partial foil which came out absolutely fantastic. I've had color done here before and I am never disappointed. All of the stylist really know their stuff and they know that talking to the client about what they want is very important. I am so happy I don't have to worry about my hair looking bad for the wedding I am in, all thanks to the Du Da Spa! I also went to the spa with a nail party back in February for my sister-in-law's surprise 30th birthday. The staff was so helpful when it came to setting up the appointment for such a large group. When the day came, we were able to bring our own food and champagne to enjoy while we got our services done. The staff was so friendly and interactive with our group, we all had such a great time and everyone LOVED their services. Love you Du Da, thanks for all of the great experiences!