I'm such a sucker for a decent mani and pedi, but in my experience there are two types of nail joints in Calgary: Cheaper (but lesser quality) Nail-only places and really expensive spas. Exquisite Nails and Spa offers all the attention to quality of the latter with the price of the former. I love the combination.
I definitely advise making an appointment a few days in advance. They do accept walk-ins, but available space is few and far between. My one beef (and star knock off) is that even when you schedule two appointments for the same time, there is no guarantee that you will start together. This is a major bummer for me because I like to use nails as girl bonding time. But each nail specialist will take as long as she needs to make sure your manicure or pedicure is perfect. Because of this, you can expect to spend a decent chunk of time in-store, so don't schedule things too close!
Every manicure and pedicure I've had here has been flawless. The spa pedicure is wonderfully relaxing. You sit back in the massage chair and let them go to work. They are so thorough it is almost scary, and you can see them sanitize all of their tools in that microwave thing that kills germs. It is such a major plus to see all of the tools sanitized.
Manicures are thorough - you get cleaned and massaged and then they go to work on your cuticles. The process does take quite a bit of time, and then finally they paint on your nail colour and you put your nails under the UV light. They won't let you leave until they are sure your nails are dry, because they don't want to waste all that time they just put into the upkeep of your tootsies. I love this place.