bosTAN

I am really amazed these guys just closed without any notification! I paid for tanning sessions and now I will have to dispute the charge. Frauds! It used to be a nice little place.

bosTAN is as good as it gets for airbrush tans. I went here before both my bachelorette party and wedding day. Mandy listened to what I wanted, made great suggestions and overall she just made me feel very comfortable. I could not have been happier with the way it came out and how long it lasted.

It’s one place that’s close to my job and that’s basically the only reason I go. The setup is awful! The bathroom is located in the back in the room where a tanning bed is so no one can use it unless it’s empty. That’s not even why I can’t stand this place! Every time you go in you have to listen to these stupid employes talk about their college life and it would be ok if it was for. Short period of time but I usually have to wait for the back bed so I listen to all this fucking nonsense. If you are in beacon hill and know of a better place just go to that one.

I’ve visited many tanning salons in the Boston area and I think its safe to say this salon really has the feeling of being not just a tanning salon but more like a spa where you go to enjoy yourself not just for a quick tan.
Pros: The employees are nice. It’s warm in the tanning rooms so when you are getting ready you don’t feel the need to jump right in the bed. The salon its self is very clean. They give you ten minutes of changing time before the bed starts. Free hair ties and water bottles in the room. I have only used the highest level bed but in that room there is the bathroom which is really a great feature. I also get decent color from one tan with out needing to go consistently every other day. Free eye wear.
Cons: There are a few bulbs out in the highest level bed on both the top and bottom. It’s a bit pricey for having more then 3 bulbs out in the bed. Not the best bottled lotion selection but a decent one time packet selection. The ipod connector is a little touchy and without it there is no music. Not many selections for different levels. Two levels of beds and one level standup.
Overall I would give this place 3.5 stars but since that isn’t an option and the staff makes me feel at home I opted for 4.

So I had never gone «tanning» before but decided to give it a try with three sessions (spaced one day apart) before I went down to the Caribbean. I had a great experience at bosTAN. The owner explained everything to me and I felt very comfortable as a novice tanner. The establishment is very clean and comfortable. The most positive result is that I did not burn on my vacation! Thank you bosTAN.

Worst spray tan ever. I spray tan every two weeks in LA so I’m not new to the operation. But I have never looked so orange or had so many gross ridiculous streaks down my legs. And when I called the next morning (after showering and trying to rub off the streaks) they said they couldn’t do anything for me but to try baby oil. Well that didn’t do anything. And how about an apology? Avoid this place at all costs. I’m going to be so embarrassed to wear a short dress at a wedding this weekend…

I moved to Boston about a year ago & tried a couple of tanning salons in the city. Bostan is the best. The owner really tries to make your experience pleasant, you dont have to wait for bed very long & the place is very clean

I went into BosTan earlier this week for an airbrush tan, and while the service was great, the tan came out so horrific, I am still wearing long-​sleeved shirts, pants, and socks to cover up my skin four days later. I have dark brown streaks running down my arms and legs, with dark blobs pooled up on my elbows and feet. The streaks are so dark and pronounced I look striped — not tanned. And this is after taking great care to prep my skin by exfoliating.
I am sorry to say it was not even worth the discounted price I paid on Rue La La, and I would not recommend the airbrush tan to anyone.

I came here for a spray tan yesterday because of all the great reviews. I was even happier when I heard Michelle was spraying me bc of the good Unilocal about her. The place and Michelle were nice and made me feel really comfortable. The end product, however, is less than satisfactory. The tan doesn’t show right away, which I didn’t know going in. So 6 – 8 hours later when I’ve already paid ofcourse and am already into my vacation the tan is finally showing and my feet are completely streaked! What a huge disappointment. What am I supposed to do now? — I guess look like a complete fool in my shorts and sandals. Or I’ll try to find a hot tub somewhere to get this streaky tan off. What a waste of time and effort. When I get back from my vacation I’m coming back to get a refund.

I used a Groupon at bosTan and the owner was so great about it. He scheduled me in as often as he could given my schedule.
Also, I went before a trip to Mexico and the tanning really prevented any burns that may have occurred from sudden sun exposure.
Love this place! Call ahead of time, the wait is sometimes over half an hour.

Wanted to somehow get a glow before my engagement photo session this weekend, was fliping through Allure magazine and stumbled upon their wrap up of the best spray tan spots in all the major cities. perfect!
Bostan had a great review, so I made an appt. My call was returned right away by Channa. She was super friendly, informative (answered a few of my questions) and booked me into my prefered time slot. Michelle did my spray (she was reviewed in allure) and she was fantastic. I was nervous… hadn’t done a spray in years and when I did do it back in the day I turned out WAY too dark. She answered ALL of my annoying questions «will I be too dark?», «when can I shower?», «will my hands look weird?», «can I wash my face?» etc. She answered everything, didn’t get annoyed, and made me feel super comfortable (while I was standing there half naked-​which is hard to do).
Next day the tan looks great, a bronzey brown and no streaks to speak of. Cost was $ 50 (reasonable as its customized), plus the expensive garage across the street (to be expected in beacon hill). Overall, for any big occasions, weddings, vacations etc. I will go back for sure!

As a pale redhead (or «ginger» as I am affectionately called) the quest for the perfect tan is nearly impossible… until I found BosTAN. Since I really can’t spend much time in the actual tanning beds (as burning or «beige-​ing» are the only two outcomes)…I have fallen in love with spray tans by Michelle. I was terrified before the first spray tan that I would come out looking like an oompa loompa (or at least a cast member from Dancing with the Stars) but was amazed at how natural and authentic it looks. I highly recommend getting a spray tan before vacation, a big event, or any time you are looking to feel great! If you are going to get a spray tan, Michelle is the best there is! She is really easy to schedule with, works at late hours to accommodate travel plans, is professional, fun, and makes the whole process (which might otherwise be slightly awkward) a breeze. Its worth every penny to have an expert (if not, an artist) like Michelle give you that sun kissed look we all wish could last all year!

I have been to so many tanning salons, all over Boston, and this place is by far my favorite. They let you leave your tanning lotion and goggles there, and when you go in to tan, they have them in there waiting for you, it is soo awesome. It is small, but it has huge personality. Everyone there knows me and I have only been going for over a month. I called to see if there was a wait, and they recognized my voice. It is so customer friendly. I cannot say enough about this place. I currently live on pinckney st so its an easy walk, but I am moving to southie and refuse to tan anywhere else. I will take the commute to keep going to this salon. Yeah they are that great. I love love love this place!!!

This place is perfect!!! The ambiance, friendly staff, and very clean facility make for a great experience. They have free water, eye wear, and hair elastics if you forget yours! This place is perfectly located in Boston and by FAR the nicest tanning salon in the city.

love it here! owner is so nice and always remembers my name! love the complimentary water bottles too! i always use the level 5 bed and love how i can hook up my ipod to listen to tunes while im in the bed!

This place is great for novice tanners or people like me who glow in the dark during the winter months and want to get a little bit of color before scarring the other beach-​goers down south! The owner works with your skin type based on a scoring system and decided what level bed to start you in and what intervals to increase to. Loved the décor, the bed was cleaned right before I used it which was great piece of mind for someone as OCD as myself, and they give you free winkies which is great for people who do not tan on a regular basis.
The water, hair elastics, and towels in the room are a great touch as well!

This place is beautiful and the owner is almost always here working! This place has nice equipment, a trendy and clean environment, and bottles of water in every room. Staff is always friendly and there is never a long wait. They provide FREE winkies (disposable eyewear) every day for customers.
This place is great and I will come back soon!

I’m pretty neutral about this place so far. I’ve gone about 5 times and it’s always been really empty, despite the fact that there aren’t any other salons nearby (maybe because it’s summer?).
The place is very clean, and the receptionists are always friendly. They give you a free bottle of water and towels in the room. The tanning rooms are spacious and have a place to sit. They have goggles, winkies and lotions to purchase for your visit. Their packages are moderately priced to cheap, especially for Boston.
The beds don’t seem quite as sturdy as my old tanning spots (not in Boston). If you turn off the face tanner, it stays off for the rest of the tan. The fans don’t come on automatically and it’s kinda confusing to get them up and running at the right amount. It took me a few visits to figure it out.
My biggest complaint is that the start/​stop button for a few of the beds is on the wall, kinda far from the bed. At other places I’ve been to, it was either right next to the bed or in the bed. I am SUPER paranoid about my eyes in tanning booths (I use goggles and refuse to open my eyes) and I use the separated goggles for minimal tan lines. Starting my machine involves a complicated process– I have to cover my eyes with the googles with one hand, which isn’t easy, and then squint through them, find the start button, hit it (the UV lights all come on), then with my eyes closed, find my way to the tanning bed and get in and settled. It’s a bit of a production. I know other people aren’t as paranoid about this, though, so for some people, they might not mind.
Aside from that, I’d definitely recommend this place if you just want a simple, clean, cheapish, non-​busy place to tan in the Beacon Hill area.

I have been to MANY tanning salons, and I have never had such a wonderful experience as the one I had at BosTAN. Wayne, super helpful and educated, assisted on helping me pick the perfect tanning package and lotion for my skin type. The establishment is clean, modern, top of the line equipment, great prices, and lots of selections for lotions. I particularly like the small packets to try a few different types.
I would HIGHLY recommend this spot! There are no other local salons… probably because this place is second to none!

5 stars — all the way — this place is amazing.
***cool décor. immaculately clean. top of the line equipment. very, very reasonable prices. hair elastics, fresh towels and bottles of water in every room. everyone who works there is really nice too.***