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On or close to the edge of extreme high end department stores sits Neiman Marcus. Expensive? Yes. High mucky-muck? Yes. I'm sure if I was hella rich, this all wouldn't matter too much to me and the rating would be higher, but unfortunately I'm not.
Like a few others have noted, their butterflies above their escalators are really, really cool. I like that a lot, one of the better displays in a department store that I have seen. Second, they do have the largest, nicest, cleanest bathrooms that you will see outside of your own. Need space? You got it. Need quiet? You got it. Clean? Usually exceptional. Funny yeah?
Many of the items here are high end clothing. I don't think I have ever bought something from here. It's just THAT expensive. The girlfriend comes here for some cosmetics every now and then and think it's okay. At least they have places to sit for me to wait.
Wow, this place was awesome!
Yea, I totally agree with a lot of the reviewers. You try going to NM back in California and I guarantee you, you won't take this place for granted. I was looking for a specific kind of sunglasses for my Hawaii trip. I've been looking for them for the longest time because they were sold out EVERYWHERE! (It's the chloe 2119 in myrtle if you're wondering what kind)
I first went to Nordstrom because they have an awesome sunglass shop. Unfortunately, they didn't have them there so I took a shot and walked into NM.
The lady that was working at the sunglass counter was already with another customer so I decided too look around first before asking. Lo and behold, I found them!!! Right when I found them, another lady came back and asked me how i was doing. She was so sweet! She took them out of display and told me they were the last ones. I decided to get them but I discovered a scratch on the lens. So she searched high and low and finally found a brand new untouched pair. We chatted it up about how cute the sunglasses were and she wrapped it up and I was on my way to the beach with my brand new sunglasses. :)
Trust me ladies, if you think this NM has attitude, you should try ones in SoCal or on the East Coast! They put the Hawaii sales associates to shame in the attitude department! Every sales associate I encountered in this store has been nothing but pleasant thus far, and in most cases, extremely knowledgeable about their product - from ladies' shoes to the fragrance counters and every other department in between (even the candy counter by Mariposa).
Yes, this is definitely "high end Honolulu". Yes, there are definitely employees that have given their fair share of attitude (not to me, witnessed them giving it to other customers). I am deducting a full star on two accounts: (1) there ARE those "attitude" employees (you know who you are) and (2) most of the sales associates take quite a while to actually approach people when they enter a department. 1 of 4 actually has good timing - not right when you arrive, but giving you 2-3 minutes to browse before introducing themselves and asking if you need anything.
I am partial to Nordy's (hey, I worked there for 4 years)...but NM is is a great place to people watch, find quality designer wear, and find brands that are not available most other places.
4 shakas. :)
Erm....I would've given it 4 stars had it not been for some attitude I witnessed given to another customer while I was there. Fortunately I had pretty good service, although the woman who was assisting me seemed a bit clueless about a product I was inquiring about and had to ask someone else.
As far as shopping for cosmetics, I'd rather go to Sephora where the staff is enthusiastic and always available.
Seriously, lose the attitude. Don't think you're hot shit just cause you work in an upscale store like Neiman's. When it comes down to it, you're still a freakin' sales assistant and you are in SALES. You don't deserve to cop an attitude, especially to paying customers. Can't handle it? Find a different job!
Is there a way I can give less than one star?!
Long time customer there and receive numerous offers all the time. Went to the comestic dept pick up something with my wife one day. One Korean lady approached us and thought we were buying but my wife has already paid for the items over the phone and all they need to do is take them out from the back. The lady asked us who took the order, date and time. I think it's simply ridiculous! How many of us remember the name of the person taking orders, let alone date and time. She told us if we can't provide those info, it'll take awhile for her to look up our items. Don't they have customers' names on every order? I've ordered and put something on hold thousands of times. Every store simply ask the customer's name and they can pull out the items. I think that lady just didn't want to walk away her counter to help since that was not her sale. She didn't make any commission on it and might risk another chance to lose a customer or two while she's away searching. Luckily there was another Japanese lady came over and she was the one taking the order. While the Japanese lady went to the back, I asked the Korean lady isn't it their job to look up the items for customers, not the customers provide you the name of the salesperson, date and time of the transaction? She said the same old thing over again, "it'll take us very long time to look in the back." and simply walked off without apologize. Amazing! I can't believe a higher end nationwide dept store has this kind of staff with this kind of attitude. I really want to put her name here and almost file a complaint but my wife stopped me. She said it's a bit mean and she doesn't want that lady loses her job because of this. Well, all I can say is I wish I won't see her again next time while I'm shopping there.
I'm only adding a star because Neiman Marcus is the only place on the island that I can buy my Shu Uemura skincare. If it weren't for them, I'd have to order online, and the shipping fees to Hawaii are ridiculous!
Anyway, NM is a snarkster's paradise. Seriously, what's with the attitude? Salespeople are clumped around talking story and eyeing out people who walk by, customers get ignored, and the atmosphere could choke a horse. I may not be a total fashionista, but I bathe regularly, and put my face on without streaks or tire treads. I don't look especially tragic, but the way I'm looked down at and spoken to by the salespeople (from their high horses, of course), it makes me wonder if I'm offending them with my presence. Dude, you work on commission, you don't save lives. Get a friggin' grip.
Exception: The ladies at the Shu Uemura counter. They're friendly and happy to help if you've got questions. High fives!
NM used to be one of my favorite spot for shopping.
It carries all the great brands I like, you are not bothered by an army of sales people following all your moves (although I am talking of the clothing department, the cosmetic department people act like they are of a million looking down on you), and the return policy was great: I used to buy a bunch of stuff, and try it all at home a couple of time to decide if I really liked it or not.
When the price tag is of three digits for a top, you can do that right ? Well, not anymore, and that sucks. Now sales are final, and it puts NM at the same level as everyone else in the mall so why bother go there now?
I think I am switching to Nordstrom... except for Mariposa, that's way better (chic and airy) than the burrow they have as a restaurant at Nordie. And the butterflies, that are SO pretty in the stairway.
Why do people who work on a 8% commission draw think they are better than the person spending the amount equivalent to their 2 week check? Well some do but my salesman Blake is cut from a different cloth. Blake works in the hip men's department on the third level. He's sassy, fashionable and always on his toes. He's got a flair for style and he adds some fun to your shopping dilemmas. He goes above and beyond for each and every one of his clientele. He's like the best friend you always dreamed of that tells you that you look hot in every damn thing you try on. Blake will help you in all the departments of the store, not only the mens dept. And fellas, he's hot and he's single.
I like Neiman Marcus, I really do...but its a total hit and miss with the employees. As a previous Yelper stated, "what's with the attitude?" Most recently, I went to the make up counter and wanted natural look and walked out looking like showgirl (or as my husband called it "a prostitute on crack")! Aside from the employees lack of down to earth attitude, in my opinion, most of the shoppers aren't any nicer! Also, during the Christmas season, its not fair that these department stores take a bunch of parking spaces away to be used for valet! One last thing...I understand the model thing...but it's a bit awkward for a complete stranger to pose right in front of me and before I stuff my face with a sandwich...
I only go into Neiman Marcus for two reasons:
1.) They have the nicest bathrooms in the mall.
2.) The shiny butterflies above the escalators are pretty.
But the last time I went in, I actually looked through their expensive shit and tried on a blazer by Dolce & Gabbana. Holy. Fuck. Does anyone have $1200 because I was totally 007'd.
"Hot."
"Slick."
"Sexy."
I know this because my mom told me.
I sometimes make a point of swinging by this store after work for a mocha. I enjoy looking at pretty, well-made things.
The service here is pretty hit-or-miss. I was at the Bobbi Brown cosmetics counter a couple weeks ago, just browsing. There were three associates just hanging out around the counter doing absolutely nothing and I had waited ten minutes before somebody even acknowledged my presence. The one who acknowledged my presence had her hand over her hip and a mouth full of gum as she leaned over the counter to talk to me. I thought that was totally unprofessional, so I left.
The Shu Uemura girls are super sweet, though. So is Liz (I think that was her name) from Estee Lauder. Liz helped me figure out a solution for my skin and even walked me to a different cosmetics counter that would have suited my needs better.
The salespeople are VERY snobby. We were browsing for shoes and weren't dress to the "T" in our designer clothing, but that doesn't mean we can't afford to pay for something. I was looking for a pair of shoes and noticed the salesgirl looking at my feet/sandals and making a small grimace. Hey, I saw you do that! HOW RUDE! Just because I wasn't wearing my Ferragamos doesn't mean I don't own any.
Needless to say, I went to Macy's and found similar shoes with far better service!
I had to return 2 things at the Prada counter and at the customer service counter right before Christmas, which is often met with attitude. The sales ladies couldn't have been nicer... Maybe I'm just used to East Coast attitude.
The restaurant Mariposa has a memorable ocean view.
The salesladies in the lingerie department have gone out of their way to give me incredible service. The cosmetics department has given me samples (subject to availability), which are perfect to last for the several weeks I find myself here each year. Some of my most comfortable, fancy sandals, that I get the most compliments on, I have bought here.
What I like best is that they take Visa & their attitude for the most part does not stink as "better than thou" as the branch in Beverly Hills.
Most times I've shopped here I've been treated really well, especially in the candy section in front of Mariposa, in "housewares", and in the cosmetics department.
Once my beau and I were looking for a nice tie. Neiman Marcus has a good selection, so we browsed for one there, even though my co-shopper likes to refer to the store as "Needless Markup". Anyway, we could see the salesperson there from a little ways away eyeing us out as if she thought we might spit on the ties. Whatever...
Recently I was encouraged by a salesperson to take the wedding gift I purchased to get a complimentary gift wrap. I was kind of excited about it until we got to gift wrap and the woman at the counter there was really rude. Her demeanor in addition to the boring look of the gift wrap options really turned me off, so I told her, "Well, thank you, but I think I will just wrap it myself." As I started to collect my shopping bag, she suddenly started being very nice and said, "You know, you should let us wrap it. We are kind of known for our tissue paper." I thought it was kind of weird for a store to be known for it's tissue paper, but I decided since she was being nicer I'd let her have a go at wrapping my gift.
I like to go to Neiman Marcus to see the butterflies display. When the store first opened and for a little while after that, the butterflies were white. That was even prettier than the gold! Check out my pics.
If you set up a bridal registry here, you will receive a $50 lunch at Mariposa. Neiman Marcus has other wedding-related services: their pastry chef makes wedding cakes for 200 people minimum (I tasted a sample-it was good, especially the butter cream), they can make your invitations and other cards, they can make favors, etc. You could even have your reception in Mariposa! It would cost you $25-85+ per person, depending on what food items you would like to have available. Maximum number of people to have at your Mariposa party: 237.
I am a frequent shopper at Neiman Marcus. Most of the time I go to the Shu Uemura counter because the girls there are always so friendly to me. In fact, we know each other by name, which is a nice touch when it comes to shopping. However, there are ONLY A HANDFUL of salespeople at Neiman Marcus who are actually nice, real and genuine. The majority of them are very rude and snobby. They are the ones who only help you if you are buying thousands of dollars worth of items and if you "look" the part of someone who can afford expensive things.
There was one very recent experience at the Women's Contemporary department that really turned me off to spending my money at the store. There was a small party going on for the Hip Event with a DJ, drinks, and models which made the dept. quite busy. A salesperson asked me if I needed a dressing room, but when I said that I had items on hold from the day before, she says to me (as she hands the clothes back to me), oh why don't you go find the salesperson who helped you yesterday and they can get the clothes you put on hold and get you into a room. I don't understand why she couldn't just start a room for me, was she THAT desperate for a commission!? So the salesperson who had my clothes on hold finally comes up to me, and puts me in a room. She comes to my room once to check on me, but NEVER returns! I needed other sizes, but since she obviously forgot about me, I had to go out and grab them myself! So I go back to the dressing room only to find them full. 2 were being used by the models, which I don't understand why they put them in rooms in the dept. where an event is going on and they know will be busy with customers trying on clothes! Most normal people can't even look as good as those models in the clothes anyway, so why are they needed?! Just a waste of 2 dressing rooms. So I'm waiting in line with like 6 pairs of jeans and other items, and my arms are dying. Another salesperson apologizes over and over again for the wait, yet he does nothing to relieve me of holding all the clothes! Then a lady comes to the dressing room dressed all nice holding her wine, and she gets a room before me! The salesguy comes by me and says, oh I'm sorry I don't think she understood me when I said you were waiting in line. I was so upset by this! He should have told her louder or repeated himself that I was waiting in line first! Did he let her have the room because he knew she would spend thousands of dollars more than me?!! I just couldn't believe what happened (plus I had to leave already b/c it was late) so I handed the clothes over to the salesguy and left.
Neiman Marcus REALLY needs to work on their customer service skills. If they don't, they will lose their customers to Nordstrom. Nordstrom's service is FAR SUPERIOR over Neiman Marcus. I'd rather give my money to them.
I'm a label whore. I'm okay with this. I buy the majority of my labels on sale though. A recent trip to town necessitated an impromptu shopping trip and I stopped in Neiman's to buy my must have mascara at the Lancome counter. I had a tough time finding the Lancome counter because, unlike Macy's, Neiman's is too classy to have signs hanging from the ceilings indicating which counter is which so you don't mull around like a lost cow searching for water in the desert.
Btw, I totally don't resemble a cow.
Anyways, so I asked two salespeople how to find the counter. Two, because I didn't follow the directions of "to the right of the escalator" well enough from the first person who helped me. The second person actually helped me get the items I wanted and when I had a question she apologized profusely as it wasn't her normal counter, got another makeup specialist (who, as it turned out, didn't work at the counter either but also apologized profusely) and finished my purchase. I found my experiences with the staff pleasant and I was able to get my items quickly and without any problems. I liked the array of labels I saw there and can attest to them having clean bathrooms. I also like that they have attendants opening and closing the doors to the entrances for you. They also offer valet parking although I didn't avail myself of this amenity.
Neiman's exudes class.
I had mixed feelings about giving this Neiman Marcus location such a high over all rating but since the manager at the eat-in cafe is so sweet, I gave NM higher marks than it really deserves. I also like the cafe because it is the perfect place to people watch and have a damn good latte or cappuccino. This place is where the "Beverly Hills" types of Honolulu shop, if you get my drift...that's why there is the valet out front, people! High end Honolulu!!! I can't really afford anything here except at the makeup counter or during NM's famed Last Call Clearance Sale which is still really expensive stuff but every once in a while, a splurge is necessary. I really prefer Nordstrom because of their amazing return policy and customer service but I enjoy perusing NM just to breathe in the air in there! I have encountered some nice sales peeps but for the most part, this NM is about as snooty as in any other NM in the country. I also noticed that NM charges about $60. over the standard price of the Bugaboo Bee which also sells at Nordstrom, FYI. I am looking forward to eating at NM's Mariposa Restaurant and hopefully my family and I will have an exceptional experience there. We'll see...
I think this neiman's location is wonderful--mainly because they accept visa, unlike most mainland neiman marcus stores. also, the sales staff in my favorite department--theory / vince / marc by marc jacobs section is so friendly, helpful and down to earth. the selection is a little limited, but i'm getting used to that in hawaii.
also, try out the restaurant on the third floor--it's called mariposa and is a little pretentious, but great for a light salad or even a filet. the wine selection is good, the bellinis look amazing, the coffee is delicious!
BATHROOM: 5 stars
STORE: 0 stars
I've never purchased anything at Neiman Marcus in Ala Moana Center or any of their other locations. I've never browsed for anything at Neiman Marcus. I never plan on buying anything at Neiman Marcus.
It's not my scene.
I will say, however, that they have the most fantastic public restrooms you'll ever encounter. I'll spare you the details of my actual "experiences" and talk in more palatable generalities.
I think I just used the word "palatable" while referring to bowel movements. Nice.
The number one concern for a public restroom is cleanliness. And boy are they clean! It makes my home bathroom (which is quite clean, thankyouverymuch) look sad in comparison. There are shiny marble-esque floors. All the surfaces are polished. The stall walls are floor to ceiling, and the front door is slatted wood to afford you the privacy you want while giving you the airflow you need. Of course all the things you'd expect from a 5-star shitter are present. Cushy toilet paper (with a spare roll at the ready), seat covers, aromatic soap, and, to use the words of George Costanza, "a flush like a jet engine!"
i used to love shopping at neiman marcus but wat the heck happened to their return policy? it sucks now~ all sale items are final sale! wth? also, the sales ppl at the comtemporary dpt are all calculative that its actually uncomfortable shopping there~ i am only gonna shop & actually buy things at nordstrom now~ much better service, inventory of products, & return policy.
My favorite clothes store in Honolulu, which isn't saying all that much because I mostly shop on-line. I don't care for the cosmetics section (SAs were inattentive or just plain rude), but the SAs in the other sections have always been friendly and helpful - quite a departure from mainland NM SAs. The selection is limited and the contemporary section is generally a sea of Theory, Juicy, Rebecca Taylor, D&G, Catherine Malandrino, Cynthia Steffe, DVF, MJ, Loy & Ford, Twelfth Street, etc. - that is to say, the usual suspects, and this location certainly won't be the first to get in new lines carried by NM, but I think the selection has been improving in the past several months, with more smaller designers. The sales are good, though, and the Mariposa patio on a clear day is perfect for lunch.
After having a big lunch and whole morning of going around Ala Moana Mall, our last stop was dessert at the coffee shop in Neiman Marcus! The macadamia pie was oozing with oil.... The waiter was not attentive, since we were just there to have coffee and dessert.....so tempted not to leave any tip. But didn't let his attitude ruin my day. While there, there were these 2 models.....modelling some casual wear and passing out flyers (very pleasant and seemed to be enjoying what they were doing).... maybe waiter was annoyed that they had better job than he does?
Honolulu, HI
Category: Bridal
Honolulu, HI
Category: Bridal
Honolulu, HI
Category: Bridal
Honolulu, HI
Category: Shopping Centers
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