I've been coming here for almost a month now so probably a good time to review. I found the establishment on Groupon as I was looking to build a tan before my vacation in May. When I arrived I was greeted by a girl who I'd later find out works most week days (wish I knew her name, super petite?). She is so sweet and so knowledgeable on the offerings. Over the course of the last few weeks she has been so accommodating when I've come in to see her (the weekend girl is less lively but certainly not a bad employee). The facility is beautiful there's just a few drawbacks. I love the machines, pricing, level system etc. What could use work is the finger print system, it's just inconvenient and annoying and I feel bad for the girls working who have to deal with its predictable unpredictability! I also wish there were better music selection in the beds. Many tanning salons in Boston at minimum have an auxiliary cord in beds for you to use. Only the level 5 has auxiliary and the rest play these cringey EDM CDs. YES CDs in 2018. I use the level 4 bed which I mostly like save some minor inconveniences. I know particularly in the Level 4 the same CD starts automatically every single time, if you try to press certain buttons (like turn down the face lamp) the CD skips, and if you try to use the bed buttons to change the song it takes a good 5 seconds to register. Not the worst thing to deal with but I'd love to be able to listen to music of my choosing. There's also a phone holder on the bed that once you close the lid to the bed the phone falls on your face . Some of the beds including the 4 have an ergonomic shape which at first glance seem really cool! But when you're 5ft tall with a little belly it only causes pronounced fat roll tan lines and your eyewear (I use the singles not the ones with elastic) to fall off your face and fly off the bed into unknown territory if you so much as breathe too deeply. Again, minor inconvenience but something to be aware of if you're tiny and thick like me! read more

Took folks money right up to the day they closed. We saw them sign up people for packages the day before they locked the doors. They owe us for several visits, but I feel worse for the ones who got nothing. read more

Licensed Esthetician for 6+ years. Amazed to learn that bad spray tans are still a thing in 2021. Smart Tan offers Boston/Cambridge's worst spray tan AND worst customer service by a long shot. See photo for result. ZERO color deposit on legs, heavily concentrated on the feet. Clearly a defective machine/airbrush mechanism. It was also soaking wet when I entered. There was water pooled on the floor. I was promised a refund for the spray tan package I bought for $70. 3 weeks later, 4 visits to the place... nothing. Front desk employee continually says "the manager will refund you soon, come back another time". Today, She called him, he answered and when she told him I was there he hung up on her. Seriously? Do not waste your time or money here. read more

Smart Tan Salons UV+ - Smart Tan's airbrush tan. - Spray Tanning Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Closed without notice. Still has money prepaid for services. Would like to know what the plan is. read more

I'm shocked by how wildly unprofessional this place is. Some days they are open, some days they are closed-- it is completely random. Multiple times I have showed up at 12pm during the week (when they open) and have waited 30+ minutes just for no one to show up. There is no information for why this is the case. Don't waste your time coming here, they will probably be closed. Entirely unreliable, please don't waste your time like I have. read more

I called to inquire about the pricing but who ever answered the phone was incredibly rude. Thanks for saving me the trip down there. I'll find somewhere else. Also, the pricing on the website didn't match what the woman on the phone said. The prices on the website are MUCH cheaper than they really are. The website advertises $25 1 month unlimited for its MA locations. When I called, a Level 1 bed was $59 per month. Might wanna update that.... read more

Just like the other reviews...this place is pretty unprofessional. Tried to activate the one free week that is on their website where you check in on FB and tag 7 friends and the employee said I would have to bring in 7 people...? Like physically bring them in hahah. Anyway, she had to call her coworkers to get an answer and 20 minutes later I was able to use the tanning bed So ok cool, I can use the free one week "membership!" WRONG hahah they open and close at random times. For example, they close at 7PM on Thursdays, I got there at 6 and it was closed. No note or anything. After reading other reviews, seems like they've been randomly doing this since at least 2019, what a funny business. If you hate wasting your time, definitely look elsewhere. read more

Loved coming to this location , very convenient and the receptionists were always friendly. Are they planning to reopen ? It's hard to find a place now in the city. read more

I've been going here for years off and on...love their beds!! Always get great tan..but I see hours where updated 3 weeks ago I thought they were closing? That's what I was told ..will have to check .. read more

Meh, I wouldn't bother. After my package at Campus Tan ran out, I thought about checking out some options a little closer to home. I also didn't want to commit to a package since my budget is a bit strained right now, and wanted to grab a quick single visit. I was a semi-regular at this salon when it was Extreme Tanning, and I think I got something like 7 tans for 70 bucks with the packages then. I was astounded with the prices for a single visit. They have five levels of beds, and the level five is a whopping $34.99 per visit. Srzly?! The signage claims you can maintain your base tan by using that bed once every 2-3 weeks. Yeah, right. I asked the girl if there were any discounts, but she couldn't get me much except 10% if I still had a student ID. I almost left, but I was determined to tan, and I drove ten minutes from Porter to Davis in rush hour traffic, so I bought a single visit in the level 3 bed, which apparently has "smart" bulbs that turn into a level 4 after 12 minutes. I built an okay base tan, but I had to lie there for a fifteen minute max(way longer than any of the high-level booths and beds I use at other salons) And there's an annoying video about the benefits of tanning playing in each room with a sign explaining that the volume is fixed, and to drown it out with your music. I do appreciate the headphone jack for an iPod along with a full radio and a CD player at the foot of each bed, but I also kind of like the shitty XM club radio stations most salons play, too. Oh, and don't believe their signs about how they change their bulbs after each 100 hours, while all other salons do the same after 400. I've spoken to salon owners who know the standard is 100 hours. The next day, I scampered back to campus tan and renewed my minutes package-- a way better deal for a faster tan that's just as good, if not better. read more

I decided to give this place a second chance a few days ago as I was not pleased the first time I went. Nothing has changed, very unprofessional and poor quality. Not only are the beds sub par, the staff isn't friendly at all. And they overcharged my credit card. I would not recommend. read more

Was visiting from out of town and had the best experience!! Front desk was so nice and knowledgeable making the experience comforting and personable. Can't wait to come back!!! read more

Have been a member here over the past year and am finally cancelling which has been well over due. I have arrived several times and the business will be shut down without notice and if you attempt to reach them by telephone no one answers. The staff is also incredibly rude and lacks professionalism. I often times have to wipe down the beds myself as they clearly appear dirty to the eye. DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL. read more

I like this place. Its a convenient location. The hours open work well for my schedule. The front desk girls are always nice. It's very clean and seems like they have tons of beds. I tried it first for a spray tan. It was my first one. It looked great minus my hands and feet which is my own fault. I just didnt use enough of the blending cream. I just bought a package for regular tanning. It is pretty pricey but if its better for my skin than regular tanning I don't mind. I liked the level 4 bed I used today. Easy to use. comfortable. lots of fans. I'll go back :) read more

The best tanning salon in the Boston area. Friendly, knowledgeable staff, reasonable prices, a wide variety of tanning beds and a great location. If you're someone like me who always wants to get 'their tan on,' whether it be in the middle of summer, the dead of winter or anytime between, you can't ever go wrong with Smart Tan. read more

I came in today and the girl in the front was completely clueless. 1. I asked if the online specials are in effect, and she said I have no clue. Ok??? 2. I asked what spray tan shade she recommended and she again told me she has no clue. 3. It took her FOURTY minutes to check me in and get me in a bed. What a waste of time! Other tanning salons are much more knowledgeable and customer friendly. Being here made me very uncomfortable to spray tan bc I knew she didn't know what she was doing. It was a very figure it out for yourself experience. That's not how tanning should work! read more

Went back to give it a second try after having had several negative experiences the previous year (attempted to tan in the morning and staff were not there to open, one time waited as long as 45 minutes before having to leave). Was particularly frustrating because was tanning for a specific event and had limited time. Decided to give it another try after seeing it featured on Groupon (and to prep for a tropical wedding). Attempted to purchase the $54 for $100 of services after reading the fine print to make sure was not limited to first time users or specific tan beds. When went to use, was informed that the manager did not honor the groupon for previous guests and the best they would do is give me $25 in store credit. I expressed my frustration that I specifically read the Groupon with an eye for this fast and that moving forward the store should communicate to Groupon that stores specific limitations. There was no apology or attempt to remedy the situation. read more

My review was accurate and appropriate. It took TWO YEARS for the owner to even realize they had bad reviews, as is apparent by the fact that I'm not the only one who thought the place was not up to par. There are many other salons in the Boston area that do a better job. Period. The customer service was poor. I have bad days too, but if I'm the face of a business, I'm also amazed that this person is psychic enough to tell me what business I went to 2 years ago. I wonder how much he's paying the people who wrote positive reviews. read more

This is the only place I will go to tan. The UVB beds are amazing, I'm very pale and these beds give me a great tan, with ZERO burn. Yes, they are pricey (I use a level 4 bed and it costs almost $30 per visit), but you get what you pay for. Warning, though: There are two level 4 beds, and one of them has had the timer broken in it for quite some time. I like to be able to see how long I've been in there, so make sure you ask for the "good four" read more

I came in to buy a month worth of level 5 tanning. (I'm really fair and it's the only safe way for me to get the color started.) I was given no tour of the facility, it took a half an hour, and the girl who showed me how to use the bed only knew where the on/off button was. I wanted to buy lotion. I asked which was the cheapest. She had to ring up each one individually to even check the prices. She started at one that was $53, and ignored the two that were in the $30-$40 price rang. Nice selling tool. I bought the highest level package which includes a spray tan a week. That's broken, so no spray tan for me. Since then, I've come in to the level 5 bed being open exactly no times. I paid over $100 a month for the highest level of tanning only to realize that they only have one level 5 bed and you WILL have to wait to use it. So really you're going to end up tanning on a lower bed to avoid spending your whole day waiting. read more

This place is loaded with tanning beds. This place is loaded with different kinds of lotions and potions to help you get as dark as you could possibly want. Other things- Loaded: Guns Loaded: Potato Soup Loaded: Questions Loaded: Me on Saturdays Anyway...great place to get skin cancer in Davis. read more

I saw a few reviews of this place, but ignored them because the name of the establishment has changed. This place is now called "Smart Tan." Appearance - this place is completely garish. There is an odd assortment of black leather furniture, fluorescent lights and mid century modern knockoffs, including cheap imitation Lavernes. Its like Eurotrash meets "A Night At the Roxbury." The lobby itself is very cluttered with products, adverts, curios and other stuff, which makes it difficult to relax. No good. Not to mention, they have promotional videos playing in the lobby and tanning rooms. You can't turn off the videos, and have to drown them out with your ipod or radio. Pricing - They have the same lower level pricing options as most places ($20 per month unlimited level 1 tanning). The higher level packages (level 3 goes for $160 per month) are really pricey. I haven't done enough research to see if other places offer a better value. I'll definitely be doing that. Quality - they DO have excellent quality beds available. I learned that their "smart" beds have narrow range UV bulbs that reduce burning. I was impressed that I actually developed a decent amount of color (with NO BURNING) from 7 minutes in a level 3 bed. I typically burn in 10 minutes of a level 1 bed. Cleanliness- I didnt get a rash from this place (unlike others). That's a plus. They also have lots of supplies on hand for removing make up, etc. Overall, I'll go back. I don't think I'll invest in a big package though. I'm going to note the bed models they use and search for a better value elsewhere. read more

Great place to tan. I live that they're open until 9 pm -- huge plus for me. Most of the front desk ladies are super chill and know a ton about all their products. Always very clean. I've never had to wait for a bed either. It's cool that they have extra perks too like free hair ties, body mist, cooling spray, etc. You can't beat the location either. Right in Davis square! It's also really legit that they give first time members 50% off any package - that's a great deal. All in all - 5 stars!! read more

45 min just to buy a package... This shouldn't be that hard. It's clear that some staff are trained well and some have no customer service skills/training! In all honesty, the only reason I'm here is for convenience which is a relative word since there is no parking. Oh, I almost forgot! After buying their yelp deal and checking in--- no one knew how to redeem either! Truly a letdown. Get it together! read more

I haven't been tanning in about 15 years, so this looked like a totally different type of tanning bed, I took the woman's word when she said I wouldn't burn even with max time.. needless to say I am burnt. $40+ later. Smh will not go back. read more

Once in a few eons, a person comes across a place so majestic, so awe-inspiring, that it is worthy of a Yelp review. Enter Smart Tan, star of Somerville. Prices are good, beds are great, cleanliness is top-notch, and service is spectacular. It truly is the answer to my albino, non-denominational prayers. read more

This place felt clean and trendy. The cute girl at the front desk was knowledgeable and personable. I did level 2 tanning bed (I don't tan a lot... and embarrassingly enough, I only did it for 7 minutes haha) -- got a little bit of a burn but the next day it turned into a beautiful tan :) read more

Well I'm all about helping my local businesses, but I really don't feel I had a fair spray tan. I spent $40+ And I did not have a good experience. The entire time the spray tan voice activated machine was in a different language so therefore I was not able to follow any of the directions other then what the women working told me. After getting all undressed and putting the lotion on hands and feet I had to redress to go ask for help. The woman working did not Know how to fix it so she she would have to make a phone call to owner &would knock at my door when it was ready. After about 10 minutes I got the go ahead knock and I started the machine & still the entire spray tan was in a different language. I Did best I could but would love to be able to come bk & Change this to 5***** if i was given the chance of a DO OVER. All in all it just wasn't fair. I have my receipt, pd w cc and was there in early June. read more

I cannot figure out why Yelp will not allow me to review places. It is going to make me find a new site and is horrible for their business. I am a student in Law School in Cambridge and have gone to Smart Tan to tan for my wedding. The place is great; lots of bed options. Wish they had two 5s, though. The staff is very friendly, and it is a quick, easy experience. The only major downside is that is it pricey. read more

Nice location and when I signed up over the summer, a really friendly, competent woman helped me feel really comfortable. However, the last two times I've gone, the woman working at the front desk has been extremely rude and unprofessional. Today, four people were waiting outside, as she was HALF AN HOUR late to open. We called the numbers provided on the door for management, but no one answered. When she arrived, she did not apologize- ever. She said "hi" and then walked in. Everyone was stunned at her flippant attitude but assumed she'd apologize when we got to the desk. She didn't. She doesn't say thank you, she doesn't tell you which room she turned on, she doesn't smile. The other people I was waiting with said this happens frequently, especially on Sundays. I will never, ever be back. read more

The sign at the door says the hour's are 12pm Monday to Friday, got here today 10 before 12pm, and now is 12:23 and no one is here to open, this so unprofessional, not okay read more

This place is so clean!! they have great deals too, like if you refer a friend you get 2 free tans. the beds are really effective and they all have their own room so you can change and have plenty of space and privacy. They also have a lot of little commodities that are super helpful like make-up remover and body spray. overall this is by far the cleanest and most customer friendly tanning place i've ever been. highly recommend the monthly deals because the single sessions are a little pricey but if you pay $20 at the beginning of the month you only have to pay like $3 for a level 1 tan after that. Anna Knapp read more

Most terrible experience ever. Do not go to this place!! Came in to get a light tan before vacation. Filled out my profile and gave to the girl upfront (rhianna? Riannon?) and got a level 4 package so I wouldn't burn. She recommended 9 minutes for me, even though I put "fair, will burn easily". I said, let's try 8 to start. I get into the bed and after getting lotioned up, pressed the button. Nothing happened. I waited the 5 minutes you have to get ready, nothing happened. I called out to the girl working and she seemed frazzled and re-set the bed. I got in and after a little bit, felt my skin getting pretty warm. I don't tan often so I figured it was just the fan not blowing as hard. I thought a while had passed so I quickly opened my eyes and looked at the timer.. it read 11:36. I immediately got out and felt my skin burning. Got changed and went out side. I asked the girl why my timer ready 11:36 and she said "you wanted 12 minutes...." I said no I did not, I wanted 8 and she goes "oh, sorry." are you KIDDING ME? I have pale skin, noted it on the paper, told you that and then you mistakenly put me in for max time?! I can't even begin to explain how burnt I was. I almost wanted to sue them as I didn't sleep for three days and didn't go to work for a day because my butt was so burnt, sitting on a chair was painful. This girl was so neglectful and acted like it wasn't a big deal. I called the owner, told him what happened and asked that mine and my sisters** package be refunded. I would never go back to this place. He apologized and said this girl will have to go back through training. They refunded my sisters and had trouble with the system so they couldn't do mine immediately. He texted me the day after and said he couldn't refund mine because his "partner" wouldn't let him. I kept contacting him and he completely ignored the whole conversation. So I had to fight the cost with my credit card. I sent them the pictures of how burnt I was and the credit card representative said "oh this should be an easy one because of these terrible pictures. Maybe you should consult better business bureau too because others shouldn't be going to this neglectful of a place.." **my sister didn't have the worst experience just didn't trust this place moving forward. Her only issue was she went into a bed, there was no "sanitized" sign anywhere and cups of lotion all over the place. She told the girl and she goes oops I'll put you into another bed. Would she seriously not have done that if my sister didn't notice? read more

Felicia gave me and my boyfriend such incredible customer service. So friendly and informative. She went out of her way to make sure we understood the differences between each bed and was so sincere and genuine while helping us pick out the right lotions for our skin type. We were nervous and had reservations about tanning during this time of year, but Felicia was so confident about the effectiveness of the red-light beds that we just had to try them. Honest to God, I'm as white as they come and I used the red-light bed (98 percent tan and 2% burn rays) for 10 minutes and have incredible results. My boyfriend is darker, went in for 12 minutes, and his results are unreal. At other tanning salons, I would ALWAYS burn for several 4-minute sessions before seeing any tan develop. This bed did not burn me whatsoever and I went in for a 10 full minutes. Felicia definitely represents the company well, and she's the reason we'll be coming back. Such a great experience. My friend who sent me to this salon was not exaggerating about the quality. I can't wait to buy a package!!! read more

If you want to take your girl (or significant other) to a beach or warm destination in the near future to lay out with your guns out when the sun's out, then paint on some tan to your body...because I guess paint is less harmful for your body to absorb than hours of uv rays to do the same?!? I don't get it but who does. All that matters is that you'll be able to show off in the sun to your girl and ask her to not just check out your new haircut but also your newly painted abs. Sounds sweet, right?! Duh. Delicious B they call me. What do they call you?!? Do this, k!?! read more

I wish I could give this place 0 stars. They are basically con artists, luring people in with false advertisement and then pestering them for YEARS. I went there once 4 years ago and they are still spamming me with unwanted text messages and emails. I've asked them to stop and they won't. read more

Took my mom here today to tan, as we had some time to kill before her hair appointment. Can we just talk about the fact that the girl who works there was laying down on the couch with bare feet that were dirty, playing on her cell phone when we walked in? She had a whole set up of a bottle of water next to her, with her cell phone plugged into the power strip. As I sat there waiting for my mom, she would get up to answer the phone (bare feet and all) and then go back to the couch and curl up and play on her phone again, like she was at home. Does the manager not have cameras, or monitor their staff?? SO unprofessional. Never would I go there to tan myself. If the girl is lazy enough to sit and take selfies during work, I highly doubt that the rest of the facility is kept up to standards. Such a shame, as this place used to be the best. read more

In the past, I have experienced rude and incompetent service at Smart Tan. I have never had any problem with the tan I received here in the past, I just felt like I was inconveniencing the employees at the counter who appeared to be more interested in texting friends than helping customers . Today, however, I had really kind and thorough service. The girl who helped me was nice and walked me through the process in detail, giving me little tips on what works for her personally, not just what is the manufacturer recommendation. (I spray tan) I told her that her service was excellent compared to what I had received in the past and she told me that those employees had either quit or had been fired due to their deplorable service record. She even made reference to the terrible yelp reviews as a motivator for these employees losing their jobs. Now I am not ready to say this place has miraculously turned around but if today's service was any indicator as to the new mentality of employees at this place, I would say that Smart Tan is on the comeback trail. read more

Yeah.. I have to say that I agree about the fact that the people here are pretty rude... They have no idea how to promote even a remotely positive customer service experience.. they are less than friendly and it is pretty pricey too.. I am also not a regular tanner. I have been to this place a few times. I have tanned pretty well but I think I could find a better place that is much more inexpensive and welcoming to average people like myself! Any suggestions on places that don't suck so bad, I would welcome! read more

I am not an avid frequent tanner. I keep my tans at a nice bronze level, never orange or that dark. Anyway, I have come after several years of not tanning to get my base for the summer. The front counter girl was kind of bored and sleepy, but she still explained the options to me, etc. I came here on a groupon/living social whatever voucher. The salon is clean, has a lot of nice bed options - I use level 3. The beds are cleaned for you, there is a personal AC in every room and face and body fans built into the beds. Amazing! The beds are designed so all of you gets an even tan - even your sides and shoulders. I asked to show which buttons on the beds control what ( there are so many of them - controlling the intensity of face bulbs, face fans, shoulder bulbs, etc). The staff was accommodating. I am getting a nice tan now and only after 3 sessions. read more