Cocoa Tanning Studio – Crosstown

I’ve been coming to Cocoa Tanning since I moved into Gastown a couple of years ago. The staff have always been exceptionally friendly and the prices are fair for what you get. I purchased a contract package that allowed the use of all beds for a flat rate, which you can freeze when needed. I took advantage of this during the fall/​winter season and it was an awesome perk for someone who doesn’t necessarily want to rock a tan all year round. One thing I particularly appreciate is that the staff are not pushy when it comes to purchasing tanning lotion, which can be quite expensive. They educate you on different products without putting pressure to purchase. There is also free chocolates at the front desk! And the studio itself is generally clean and well organized.
The only objection that I have is that some of the part-​time staff are not as friendly and have given me attitude in the past. One girl in particular was constantly playing obscene rap music, which I don’t want to listen to while I am relaxing and getting my tan on… And I actually like rap and hip hop. Maybe that genre is better suited for time outside of the workplace or a night club? With that being said, the other staff members are professional and make up for what might have been a deal breaker experience.
Great studio and fantastic customer service! Would recommend to anyone living in the area!

I absolutely love tanning, and i love cocoa tanning! The staff is awesome and this is my go to tanning salon for ever!!! It is so clean and nice in there, makes me always feel so cozy and happy to be there! Their beds are AMAZING!

They talked me into buying another 10 sessions at a discount, but never told me that the sessions expire!
I paid money for these session. BS that they expire in a few months.
Total scam. Watch out!

Small place, so be ready to wait if somebody is using the bed you want.
Now the receptionist is helpfull, knowlegeable and friendly.
The place is SUPER clean and spacious.
Only downside the price… not cheap for a bikini look !!!
Oh le soleil tu me manques !!

I love tanning. I don’t care about the bad reputation it has. Yes, one day I may get skin cancer. There’s a good chance of it since I use a tanning bed. Maybe one day, I’ll regret the decisions I’ve made… I’m going with an ignorance is bliss kind of attitude, and I’m just going to do what I enjoy doing… and that’s tanning.
Why do I love tanning?
1) I just think I look better with a tan. In the winter, I get super pale from covering up… but even as a child (and even with sunscreen) I would always get a nice, deep, golden tan. I have naturally blonde hair (on the darker side of blonde… but not brown), and green eyes. A tan works best with my natural color palette.
2) It makes me feel really good. If you’ve never tanned in your life, then you don’t know what I’m talking about. Tanning puts you in a good mood. Maybe I suffer from seasonal depression or something… I don’t know. But what I do know, is that 10 – 15 minutes in a bed has a HUGE impact on my mood. I feel better after. I feel good about myself, relaxed, and happy.
3) When I feel good, I feel sexy. I just feel sexier with a tan… and when you feel sexy, sexy things happen. ;)
4) Clothes look better with a tan. Anything light colored always looks better against tanned skin. And I heard that lighter colors are really hot for spring/​summer EVERY YEAR.
5) It gives you a healthy glow. I know that there are some arguments against this– tanning can cause wrinkles, or sun spots in the future. What looks good now, might not look so good in 10 years. But there’s botox and facials for all of that (if it becomes an issue– which I am in denial about anyway). Besides, I am in my 20’s. OF COURSE I’m going to have wrinkles in my 30’s and 40’s. But why not look and feel my best now? Because I’m never going to get these years back, and I’m NEVER going to look as good as I do now. It’s all downhill from here… so I’m embracing it while I can (queue the older women who embrace their age… I know you’re shaking your heads… and I’ll probably join you in 20 years).
I felt like I needed to explain myself a little bit before reviewing, so that you know where I’m coming from. Those who don’t believe in tanning will find 0 use for this review and will probably just think I’m dumb at this point… but for those who do, HERE WE GO.
This was my first tanning salon in Vancouver. I picked it because of its hours, and it’s 2 min away from my apartment. If you check out their website, you’ll see that they have various different beds for all of your needs.
I bought a monthly package, just in the bronze bed. I haven’t been tanning for almost a year, so I needed to start off small. It was $ 60, which isn’t too bad considering that it’s so close to home, and I already had the lotion and eyewear. I find this a little pricey for the lowest level bed. I’ve bought monthly packages before at salons in Edmonton for half the price. $ 50-​$ 80 will usually get you a monthly package in the highest level tanning bed possible. I don’t feel ripped off yet, but I think I might feel ripped off paying $ 100 for the diamond level bed once I’ve reached an advanced stage in tanning (but hopefully I’ll have enough sunny weekends at the beach this summer to do without beds in a few months…).
The girl who helped me was really nice. I find that sometimes the girls working at tanning salons can come across as snobby or like they don’t care (I don’t blame them, working at a tanning salon would probably be kind of draining… so I always imagine it would be tough to keep yourself upbeat). She was kind, professional, and to the point. She didn’t try to sell me on lotions or eyewear (I’ve been forced to buy lotion from a particular salon before… because they don’t allow lotions from other salons to be used in their beds… which is ridiculous), so I was happy.
The place is very clean (which is probably the most important part!). You can plug your own iPod into the bed to listen to your own music if you’d like (and if you don’t, you can listen to waves crashing and other relaxing sounds coming from the bed). The bronze bed was a nice size. I didn’t feel cramped or anything. And it has a separate face tanner, which I find is uncommon in lower level beds– they usually just have the regular bulbs right up to the face– which is why they are considered lower level. The only thing I am wary about is that the control panel for the bed is located like right above your chest… Will I get an uneven tan because it is blocking the rays? Who knows.
Overall, I was super impressed and happy with my choice. This is the best tanning salon I’ve ever been to, and it’s worth the money for me!

I have been visiting Cocoa since they first opened. At the time, I was a tanning noob. As in, never tanned at a salon ever.
When I first saw the place, it was small, clean and very modern. The beds looked extremely high tech and the place was dim but not dingy. The rooms are very private but not crampy. They will even supply you adaptorsAll of this made me decide to try tanning for the first time.
The staff was very helpful in explaining how things worked, how each bed differed and explained the pricing packages to me and helped me decide on a package that was right for me.
They have oodles of lotions and potions (including a UV teeth whitener!) that you can buy. If you’re not sure (like I was) they also have sample sizes at a very good price. I bought a small tube of tanning lotion to try and it turns out the small tube goes a long ways. They will even hold on to your lotions and goggles so you can drop-​in on a dime without going «oh I’ve gotten my goggles. I can’t go.» Within the room itself, there is a mirror, stool and a small coat hanger so you don’t need to leave your stuff on the floor. The mirror helps if you want to apply any lotions. The studio allows you plenty of time to get ready before getting into the beds as the beds are activated by the user.
I’m not a huge tanning enthuist (except through natural beach time) so I’ve only been visiting the studio sporatically. However, I’m glad to say that they have maintained the space really well through all this time.
My only complaint is that because each room only has one bed and they only have 1 of each type of bed, when it’s in use, it’s in use. You can’t go as a couple. That being said, if you’ve never tried tanning or looking for a small place where there isn’t a huge crowd all the time (it only has 4 beds), I highly recommend this place.

The worst customer experience ever. I will tell you why this is not the best tanning boutique in Vancouver.
I went there because it seemed an elegant and fine place. I expected an excelent and educated customer service. What i found is that the people in charge of this place disrespect and treat people like trash in a rude and agressive manner. The receptionist treated me agressively and the manager did not do anything about it.
I was in Vancouver on vacations, and this was the only bad experience in the 4 weeks I spend there with my friends.
Thanks for the farewell Cocoa Tanning Studio
I will never go to that place again.
And i cant recomend you to go there.

I like this place, the decoration is very futuristic, great customer service!

I love how clean and classy their salon is! Recommended!

Friendly staff, quick, and new beds… Their studio stands out from others having a modern design… Got their monthly deal at a really good rate!