The Zen Way
What makes Zen an award-winning salon?
When you walk through our doors, you’ll immediately feel relaxed. We have worked hard to create an experience that leaves you feeling pampered and beautiful.
5 key elements go into making a treatment at Zen unique:
The Highest Treatment Standards
Our main focus at Zen has always been on creating an exceptional treatment experience. When the business was founded by Fiona Fowley in 1999, she had one very simple and clear goal. It was not to create a big business or a highly profitable salon.
The goal was simply to have the best reputation of any salon in Edinburgh. This founding principle has been the guiding ethos of the business ever since and underpins all our operations. Whether you come to us for a quick brow tidy or a half-day spa package, you’ll be super impressed by your experience. And if that is not the case, please let us know – we love feedback and are always learning!
A Luxury Environment
We have created a salon experience that exceeds the expectations of our discerning clients, far superior to the ambience of a traditional high street salon. Zen founder Fiona has a deep passion for design and aesthetics, and the presentation of the salons incorporates the many design cues she has acquired from years of travelling and observing. Inspiration comes in particular from modern design icons such as Philippe Starck and Philip Treacy.
We aim to present an experience that is both relaxing and luxurious. The treatment rooms have been designed with the best ergonomics in mind. In each spacious treatment room, we can customise the lighting, the music and the climate for each treatment. This allows us to create a sensory experience that can be adapted to each client.
Highly Skilled Therapists
What makes a Zen treatment the best? It’s simple: we have the best therapists! As well as a careful recruitment and selection process, we have developed an industry-leading internal training programme. No matter how experienced or qualified a new employee is, she will have to undergo rigorous internal training in the ‘Zen Way’ of treatments. And only when she has passed an assessment in each treatment will she be able to perform the treatment on clients.
Training is ongoing for all team members, with regular internal and external training courses offered to all employees, whether they are straight from college or the salon manager. And we don’t just focus on skills training. We have an internal coaching programme to ensure each team member is encouraged to unlock their potential. Our dedication to training is a great expense, but it is really what sets us apart and ensures not only quality but consistency across all therapists. We often get clients saying things like “I don’t mind which therapist I get, they are all so good”, and this is the greatest endorsement we can get for our focus on staff training.
Innovative Treatment Menu
At Zen, we offer over 100 treatments, so we can almost certainly provide whatever treatment or experience you are looking for. As well as the traditional salon staples such as waxing and nails, we are constantly researching and investing in the most exciting new devices and techniques coming to the market. We have also launched wonderfully advanced and effective new treatments for cellulite, fat reduction and facial skin tightening.
Our product ranges continue to evolve to make sure we are offering the most effective solutions on the market. Our therapists are very knowledgeable in treatments and products for types of skin and body concerns, including anti-ageing, rosacea, acne, pigmentation, cellulite and others. We do very thorough research and testing of treatments that come on the market, to make sure that we are introducing only effective solutions, and not the dozens of short-lived fads that come and go. We love to offer advice and share our expertise, so we are happy to offer new and existing clients free consultations. Please just give us a call if you would like to book a consultation.
Attention to Detail
There are literally hundreds of details that go into creating the client journey through our salons. Most of these will be subtle, but as a whole, they combine to create a special sense of well-being and confidence. Our clients love the personal booking reminder they receive by text the day before their appointment.
We offer tea, coffee, herbal drinks, and Prosecco for clients who arrive early or to enjoy during a manicure or pedicure. We offer appointments early in the morning and late at night to accommodate clients with busy schedules at home or work. Our booking times are extended to make sure our clients do not feel rushed, and to ensure maximum ‘hands-on’ time for each treatment.
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Awards & Accolades
National Beauty Awards
Having won both the Best Boutique and Large Salon in Scotland and the UK, we are often asked by clients and other salon owners: “How do you do it?”.
The answer is remarkably simple. We create a special customer experience that we believe is unique and which we believe cannot be bettered at any other beauty salon or day spa in the UK. Although that sounds simple, it is incredibly difficult to achieve, and only results from a laser-like focus on setting high standards every day, together with a true passion for developing outstanding therapists.