All is not as it seems at Majesty’s Pleasure.

It’s clear from the moment the elevator doors open into a space that looks like an expansive bar lavishly styled after the scallop from which Venus was born — only it offers beauty services, not meals.

“I like to say we’re a restaurant that serves nails,” said Teri Little, a manicurist and manager at Majesty’s. (They do, however, also provide clients with drinks and snacks.)

Majesty’s Pleasure describes itself as “New York’s first social beauty club.” What looks like a dining room is actually 50 manicure-pedicure stations, served by a grand cocktail bar. “It feels like a more contemporary Wing,” said Katie Van Brunt, a guest at Majesty’s Pleasure opening party on Tuesday evening, referring to the ill-fated co-working space of the “Girl Boss” era. Another guest, the stylist Douglas Wright called it an “urban chic oasis.”

The space, which occupies the second floor of a building just off Park Avenue South, is Majesty’s third location. The first two opened as Her Majesty’s Pleasure in Toronto in 2014, where founders Jeff Armstrong and Sara Kardan, partners in life and business, are based. (They’ve since dropped the “her”, a nod to the British monarchy, from the name.) When looking for their first New York location, the pair put in nearly 15 offers on spaces in lower Manhattan and western Brooklyn before settling in central Flatiron.

“It’s a tough city to get a deal done,” Armstrong, a former investment banker, said.

They’re in good company, as the neighbourhood has become something of a destination for beauty hot spots. Within three blocks of Union Square, one has the choice of longtime local Rescue Spa, which touts Biologique Recherche facials; Remedy Place, which opened in 2022 and provides acupuncture and vitamin IVs; and The Well, which arrived in 2019 and has all of the above.

But as its name suggests, Majesty’s Pleasure wants to be a bit more decadent than its competitors. For one: It’s a social club, not strictly a member’s one, meaning that anyone can come in and pay for its services. About a fourth of clients opt to join the “Leisure Club”, a tiered subscription that grants them between one to unlimited manicures and pedicures per month.

“Eventually, we want to be all members,” said Kardan. “That’s the dream.”

The New York location currently provides a range of manicure-pedicure services, and this fall will also add hair styling, facials, and access to an exclusive corridor known as the Leisure Lounge, where guests can receive simultaneous nail, lash, brow, or skin services without leaving a reclining chair.

“We’re very anti-salon in our design,” explained Kardan, whose background is in interiors and architecture. Guests are first greeted by a concierge, who Armstrong likens to a host or waiter. Used tools are whisked away, sterilised, and replaced. The nail polishes are tucked into walls of milk-white drawers. “Everything is hidden,” she added.

A Polished Model

Spas are a relatively small (around $100 billion) business beneath the greater wellness umbrella (worth 6 trillion dollars, according to the Global Wellness Institute). Most make their money with premium-priced services like massages and facials. The International Spa Association reported that in 2024, revenue-per-visit averaged around $117; Armstrong estimates that the average guest at Majesty’s spends closer to $150. A gel manicure costs $65, more affordable than 60 minutes of bodywork at nearby The Well, which could cost between $200 to $400. It also has an array of bites and cocktails, like the $19 tequila-based Cotton Candy Skies, as well as stackable beauty services help to make the experience more valuable for all parties involved.

Most Majesty’s Pleasure guests belong to one of a few segments: individuals looking to treat themselves and feel connected to something that’s pleasurable,” Armstrong said, as well as “tribes,” who come in celebratory groups — think a 40th birthday or book club outing. About a tenth of their business comes from events, like beauty companies hosting product launches.

Majesty’s Pleasure’s first locations in Toronto were self-funded; Armstrong and Kardan bootstrapped the business by renting their home and cutting back on expenses. When the pandemic arrived in Canada, they pivoted to selling gift baskets of wine and face masks. Then they got an email from a longtime client who happened to be a real estate investor. Armstrong recalls him writing, “‘There’s a reason why you’re not expanding,’” he wrote, according to Armstrong. “‘Is it a capital reason? I can help.’”

The gesture was “the last thing we expected,” said Kardan, but it helped to fuel their entry into the United States. They hope to secure two more leases by year’s end, and break ground on three more Majesty’s Pleasures in 2025, with eyes set toward Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC and Dallas.

Despite the competition in the area, Majesty’s Pleasure believes it has created an entirely new hospitality business model. The initial reaction indicates they could be right.

“It feels like you’re in a hotel,” said Jannely Espinal, a writer for NBC’s Shop Today. “I love nails.” Hers were modified French manicure with black tips, which she clinked against her wine glass. “And I love a drink!”