Campus Tan

I used to live right upstairs from this place, and did for about 6 years and never went there.
Then, I was prepping for a fitness competition, and so I needed to get some color base.
I came here, it was nice! The ladies explained «tanning» to me because I literally had never done it, and I literally didn’t know how it all worked.
I used only the stand-​ups, and I always put a towel over my face. I don’t want wrinkles!
I live farther away from this place now but I’ll consider going back if I start to tan again…

Its tanning. So. Whatever.
As another reviewer said, they get the job done and pricing is reasonable through i STRONGLY suggest the monthly plans as sessions expire and your minutes will be devoured if you up your level on a visit. In the things that actually matter they excel– its clean– THANK GOODNESS– and the beds/​standups function well.
Negative two for the staff and weird atmosphere. Once I went there at 10am (they open at 9) and there was a sign saying ‘due to circumstances we’re opening at 10). Okay. 10:10– standing outside, still not open though there’s someone at the desk. Thankfully it wasnt freezing out or anything buuuut I feel like they could have at least let us in. Sort of weird. I’ve also had experiences with the staff that were totally rude– as in this one girl seriously seemed like my presence was the most inconvenient thing for her to deal with that day… which is absurd because her job is literally to scan peoples fingers. If you’re going to aid in my demise, at least do it with a smile? Or something more than a scowl? Eh. Like I said, it’s tanning– it’s not that serious and I’ll deal but it was still a drag.
I’ll still go here though. Convenient, clean, functional and hours are decent (when they finally unlock the door).

I love campus tan. When I visit this salon I never have the uncomfortable pretentious feeling that I get in most Boston Salons. Here are a few reasons that even after graduating I still come back to Campus Tan:
1) The level four bed is awesome. In a short ten minutes I come out tanner, not just kinda red that fades in the hour but actually tan. On top of that, this bed gives you so many options, it can spray you with water, aroma therapy, and you can turn down the shoulder and facial lamps if you feel like your getting burnt.
2) They have a versa spa spray tan and its awesome. I’ve gone in mystic tans a few times and I always feel like I am suffocating. Their spray tan is open so you can breath while at the same time get complete coverege on my tan.
3) Holly nail polish. I basically can’t leave without buying 1 or 2 or 3 new nail polishes.
4) If I get out of the bed and realized I am in need of an eyebrow of lip wax I can just pop back into the nail salon for some grooming.
The only thing I miss are the really delicious candies, dum dums are good and all but its hard to eat lollipops while laying down.

I used to like this place but I’m totally over it now, and will be taking my skin cancer hobby elsewhere. Here are reasons not to go here:
1) I put my account on hold for 1 month while I was away on vacation. Not only did I get charged, I got charged TWICE. It took the manager a few days to get back to me, which is unacceptable. All they did was give me the next month for free… not enough.
2) After they get new bulbs, the maximum for 3 weeks is 10 minutes in a 15 minute bed. I have been getting no color, and they claim ‘it’s the same tan!’. They say they don’t want people to burn, so they set the limit. I’m coming every day looking pasty… not like a tomato… I think I can tell you if I’m burnt.
3) The locks on all of their doors are basically broken. There is some homemade sign that says something like ‘Sorry the door may blow open because of the strength of the fans, Put your purse in front of the door!’ It has been like this since February.
4) They have no music in their stand up beds. So i’m just like standing there naked, and like can’t even sing or dance. Boooring. Awkward.
5) Their systems CRASH a lot. Especially if you go in the mornings. The staff is not trained to know how to use the beds manually, only the managers are. So, on not one or two, but 3 occasions, I have sat there while the girl has to call managers at different locations and be walked through how to start a bed manually. There is no excuse for this, train your staff.
6) In the middle of May (for the summer season), They change their hours from 10 – 8. They did not give you any warning, and they did this AFTER the money has already been taken for the month out of your account. That is just shady.

I started going to Campus back in ’08 when I was at Northeastern. I was a regular while I was in school but decided to stop going because of, you know, the whole skin cancer thing. Now I go every once in a while when I feel I’m too pale. In the years I have been coming here, and the numerous people I have encountered I can say that it was usually a pleasant experience. I did the level 4 for a while but dropped down to 1 since it was way cheaper. I have never had an issue with missing bulbs, or pushy receptionists. You always get asked if you need lotion, but when you say no they don’t persist. It’s never bothered me. The beds have are clean, there are multiple levels and a good selection of lotions. This is still my tanning salon of choice even though I don’t live on campus anymore

Campus Tan puts the T in my GTL routine. While this place is very convenient since it is on the walk back to my apartment from the gym I do wish there was a better option at the same price for the area. Do not go here for a single session without a free trial or a package deal because it will get really expensive.
I have done both the level one beds and the standups and I have been disappointed time and time again. I have dealt with multiple beds that have bulbs that are out. While I don’t particularly enjoy putting my hand on the disgusting hanging ropes in the stand-​ups, it is the best way for a full body tan.
The most disturbing part about this place isn’t the cramped space of the standup but the fact that most of the doors are missing locks. They have been that way for months. So whether intended or not, I can definitely foresee someone accidentally walking into my standup and getting a nice shot of my junk in their face as I am changing. Fun times.
But hey, still gotta’ keep the muscles toned (G) the body bronzed (T) and the clothes fresh to death (L).

Really really annoyed.
This place used to be great. I went in yesterday and was in stand up #2. At least 2 of the bulbs were completely out and there was no music. I told the girls at the front desk who really didn’t seem to care. They said they would speak to the manager and then turned and continued their convo with each other. Today I went it again and told the girls how I don’t want #2. They put me in number 1. Guess what? NO MUSIC. Standing there for 7 minutes with a giant fan rattling above your head is not relaxing or fun. I got out and told the girls at the front desk again. They were stunned. We walked back and we made sure I knew how to use the knob. Yes lady I can turn a knob. Turns out ALL of the stand up booths are broken with NO MUSIC! WTF? I couldn’t have been the only person to say something. I just purchased like 200 minutes so I will use them but then definitely finding some where new.
After all of this no one has contacted me, none of tans were returned, nothing except a lot of I’m sorry. I’m sorry doesn’t keep me entertained for 7 minutes.

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit I am going tanning (both UV and spray) to prepare for Law Prom this weekend. I haven’t been in a tanning bed since highschool, which was over 10 years ago, so I don’t really have much to compare with Campus Tans. I was a bit hesitant since some of the reviews here were not that favorable, but when I got there, it was all good. Jamie was at the desk and super nice. She didn’t pressure me to do anything at all and explained everything to me, helped me pick a lotion, and suggested a good combo of spray and bed for me to be ready for the following weekend. They had coupons on their website, and the location was really convenient for me. I was considering Perfect Tan and Tanorama, but they were just a pain for me to get to, and pricey compared to Campus. I used a level 1 bed, which is fine, as I tan pretty easily anyway. Admittedly, since my body hasn’t seen the sun since November on a trip to FL, I was really looking forward to some heat and «rays.» I seriously felt like I had just spent some time on the beach and it was a nice way to relax from a stressful day. People may not feel the same, but it was exactly what I needed to feel human again. All that was missing was a hot cabana boy to bring me a watermelon mojito.

I’m not a big fan of tanning, but have been here twice.
My first time was my first year of college out in Boston and coming from California, I seemed to think that the sun had disappeared. My friend down the hall essentially dragged me in here with a free coupon for one session in a tanning bed. I had never done this before and really didn’t know what to do, but the girls working here explained it well and dealt with my novice. The tanning bed was a tanning bed. I did the first level (or something), but I saw that they had many different choices of types of bed from flat glass, to molded plastic with a hook up for your iPod. The tan was fine, but not for me.
The second time I went in here was a couple weeks ago when my room mate and I needed to do something ridiculous and cheer ourselves up, so we decided to go spray tanning, hoping to not look like Snookie. Again, the girl working there explained things very well and made us feel comfortable with the process. They still had us on file even though neither of us had been in years. The spray tan cost $ 25 (much less than the $ 34 that Darque Tan was charging) and we were told that they sometimes have coupons on their website so we should check first. Neither of us ended up coming out looking like the lost cast member from Jersey Shore and both actually liked our tans. Because it was the middle of winter, we only did level 1 and it lasted about a week or so.
All in all, this seems like a good place to go. They seem to be sanitary, although I guess you’re always taking a risk. The girl working seemed to always be cleaning a bed or booth or something or other.

Campus Tan runs a shady business and I do not recommend anyone going here. I have been charged for a monthly plan for 2 years with no notice from them. I canceled the account in 2009 and I have been getting charged every since with no warnings what so ever. They run a horrible business that does not care about the costomer at all. Be careful signing any waver because they have a way to trick everyone out of money

This place is nothing special, but I’m happy with the results, so I’ll be back.
I made an appointment to get a simple manicure. I was attended to promptly, although the front-​desk ladies seemed a little disorganized. My manicurist was a very down-​to-​business, abrupt, and almost pushy asian woman. She didn’t introduce herself, didn’t invite me to pick my color until after she had begun shaping my nails, and had a tendency to sort of bark orders («go wash your hands,» «go pick a color»). Not very polite. She also had a way of twisting my thumb, so much so that it actually hurt.
With that said, she was very quick and precise, and I love the way my nails look. Just for that, I’ll probably come back.
~*~
Edit: I tried out the mani-​pedi with free tan. The mani-​pedi was fine, but I got BURNED TO A CRISP in the tanning bed. It was the middle of winter and I don’t regularly tan, so I asked the staff what they recommended. They said 10 minutes, which I later find out it way too long for those conditions! I had VERY uncomfortable burns all over my body for several days.
I was so upset, I went back the next day to tell them what had happened. The girl at the counter didn’t know how to respond. She got defensive, saying «10 minutes is what we recommend. We have girls come in and do 10 minutes to start out and it’s fine.» But clearly, as my copious burns would prove, that is not a safe recommendation for everyone! And I’m not a pale girl, I usually tan just fine. Anyway, I left feeling even more upset than I was before! She could have offered me a free manicure or some aloe lotion or AN APOLOGY AT LEAST. I got a call from the manager a few days later that was an «apology» buffered by more defensiveness. Really???
No matter how good the nail job was, I can’t ever go back.

I went to Campus Tan after taking a very long hiatus from tanning. I bought a package for unlimited tanning for a month. At first, I liked the place. The girls were always friendly and I never had to wait for a bed. But after going a few times, there was an incident. I was laying in the tanning bed and all of a sudden, I felt something on my body. I realized there was a huge fly inside of the tanning bed with me. Of course, I freaked out a little and tried to kill the thing. I finished my session and left.
I came back again a few days later, thinking to myself, «Surely that won’t happen again». But I was wrong. This time there were 2 or 3 flies in the room, flying in and out of my tanning bed and landing on me. I complained to the girl at the front desk. She offered to upgrade me to another level… but I decided I should find a new tanning salon that has less bugs.

They get the job done yet I am not thrilled with my time spent here. Some of the staff are nice and helpful yet others are not. I went in today at 6:30 and they had the door locked when they close at 9. Two employees were sitting at the main desk on their phones and chatting… there is no need to lock clients out even if its break time.
Also if you buy a minute plan make sure you choose the correct ones, if you use a bed thats not in your plan It’ll eat up your minutes. Also i have signed up for one month, they CONTINUED TO CHARGE ME for the next month.

I was not thrilled with my experience at Campus Nails, but it wasn’t horrible either.
Pros: My nails look great.
Cons: 1) Price. The website says $ 21 for a french manicure (which seems pricey) but they charged me $ 22, and when I mentioned the discrepancy the clerk at the register (not the person who did my nails) shrugged and said «I charge whatever she writes». She didn’t bother to double check, honor the website, or show any type of good customer service skills.
2) Service — Overall the service was ok, but the nail technician got up in the middle of my manicure to go do a wax while the other technician sat and drank her coffee.
Really not impressed with Campus nails, but it is convenient so I might be back.

I’ve never been for the tan but I went today for the pedicure and it was good. They had enough space to be doing three nails and two pedicures, but only one person on so my friend and I had to wait while the other went. We knew that when we booked so it wasn’t a problem and they had lots of magazines. The water for the foot bath was really really cold which made it kind of unpleasant and I couldn’t turn the heat up any higher. My massage chair also didn’t have any adjustments on the massage so I couldn’t even feel it.
The woman was thorough and did a nice job. She did reprimand me on having «too short» toenails because I keep mine really short and have a high nailbed. I hate long toenails and she still managed to make mine all the same size and a nice shape. She only did one coat of paint but she did a lot of steps (remover, cuticle oil, some other cuticle stuff, lotion, under coat, polish, top coat). They look perfect and I’m really happy with this place. I don’t know if I’d go back because it was $ 29 for just a pedicure but it was clean, thorough (not short, not too long), and the location is ideal.

Down one star– try Darque Tan for your tanning stuff

This us an update for the manicurest/​waxer. As far as waxing goes, I give her a huge thumbs up — shes quick, hygenic, and doesnt do some crazy pencil thin eyebrow thing. Perfect. Re: nails, well… I’m spoiled. In LA you could get a mani pedi that was twice as good for half the cost. However, I’m not in LA… I’m in Boston. And as far as Boston goes, the mani pedi here is decent. Not super cheap, not super amazing, but given that you can get your waxing, tanning, and nails all in the same place… its hard to beat.

This place is great. So on the contrary to my name. I have nothing bad to say.

Pretty cheap, nicely decorated. Not the most friendly staff ever, but helpful enough. LOTS of beds and levels of beds for those who need adjusting. Also plenty of lotions and bronzers to help you out. Not amazing but okay. I would say the best attribute of this place is definitely the prices. And the location… pretty central for many college students.

I’ll give them 3 stars only because they have alot of beds and booths so you can walk right in and bake. I’m not one for tanning salons but I was going on a big gay cruise and I didn’t want to look like Casper. When I first went in to buy sessions the girl asked me if I wanted to go in the maximum amount of time. I looked at her and said «want a lawsuit?» I would have ended up in the hospital with severely burnt skin. I’m a blonde for fuck’s sake so I doubt that she mistook me for being hispanic. During two of my five visits I had noticed that some bulbs were burnt out… tisk tisk. When I told Becky (that’s what I want to call her) she just said «oh, ok» while she stared at the computer. On the plus side, you can actually buy minutes which is nice if you’re light like me and you don’t need more than a few at a time.

I’m not a tanning connoisseur. But I do need to a little preventative tanning if I’m going anywhere south of, say, Connecticut. Campus Tan is noteworthy because you never have to wait or make an appointment and it is significantly more affordable than places a few blocks away on Newbury.