Ultimate Exposure

I first came here before my trip to Florida last month. I am pretty pale and don’t tan too easily. I was impressed with the variety of beds and I particularly like the one that doesn’t burn me (I think it is called the Mega Bronzer)!! Its for my skin and gives me a nice tan. I now go once or twice a week and will continue to do so for now (as it is far better than accidentally frying in the real sun :)). I really like the staff. They’re quick, knowledged, helpful and super nice.

TOO MANY ANNOYANCES.
Generally, this place is below the typical discount tanning salon I’ve been to in any other city. The rooms are small, chairs are for toddlers and there are no mirrors.
The main gripe I have with this place, is that no matter which Salon i go to, I constantly get the hard sell to buy $ 100 bottles of worthless tanning lotion. I’ve been going here for years, and no matter how many times I’ve said no, it just doesn’t register. In addition, the sales pitch is full of lies. They claim you can’t tan without a lotion, which is odd since I’ve done so for over 10 years!
This gets really annoying during peak hours, because the line of stupid yentas in front of me have to go through the spiel and they all fall for the scam. By the time I get to the front desk, my lunch hour is all but over.
At one time I carried an empty bottle in, hoping to be left alone, but instead they tried to up-​sell me.
In addition, I received a fee a year ago when my credit card expired. Although I have long since taken care of it, the fee keeps randomly showing up on their computers once a month, and I have to waste time trying to convince a clerk to let me tan.
But this is Chicago, so I give it one star since it is unusual to find a monthly membership in this price range. The second I find another place near home or work, I will leave.

If I could give them zero stars I would. Be careful when signing up for a membership at this place… and READ THE FINE PRINT ON ALL OF YOUR CONTRACTS.
as for this location, its small, usually pretty clean but very cramped feeling and the staff isnt always the nicest.

I belong to Ultimate Exposure and this one on Diversey is def not as good as any of the other ones. The rooms are very tiny and the same rooms with the same names are not the same as the one downtown and the one on Clark. There is one machine where you press a button and it lowers itself onto you, VERY SCARY and this is not at any other salon. Their fans also do not work as well, therefore I get sweaty, and I’m not fat.
I am very confused by this, but luckily, the one on clark isn’t too much farther away from me. This store also messed up my new credit card and only credited it once, so then I had a balance on my membership, even though I filled out all the new paperwork here to change my credit card information. Pretty annoying. Plus I went there yesterday and a girl in front of me said the SAME thing! awkward.
They let you freeze your account which is really nice and it is very easy to cancel your membership.
They also have double points specials a lot.

I don’t tan. I don’t burn. My skin pretty much stays the same. But I am sort of on the paler side and I wanted to look healthy in my white wedding dress, so I decided to go tanning. I have been tanning before, not in Chicago, so I guess I must keep that in mind as I write this review. However, I was not impressed with Ultimate Exposure in Lincoln Park. The rooms are small, the whole place feels cramped and clean I guess, but some of the beds definitely look weathered. And there isn’t any music to listen to while you tan, to me that is a big bummer. If I’m going to lay down in a coffin like structure, I’m going to want some music to keep me entertained. Is that really so much to ask? When I went tanning in Ohio, I had my own individual radio to pick my choice of music. In Indianapolis same thing. And Chicago is a big city, where we are supposed to be ahead of the game! Instead this tanning salon is lagging behind. At Ultimate, I would settle for one overall station that they pick.
And I didn’t really like that they did this point system thing. It seems as if they want to make it like a secret club, with secret lingo and secret handshakes. Blah. It should be simple and easy to use if they want new customers. And repeat customers for that matter! I don’t have time to keep track of my points and which bed costs how many points if you are a member or just a regular person. Tanning isn’t and shouldn’t be brain surgery.
Also you have to have your own tanning goggles and if you don’t have them you have to buy theirs. In other tanning salons, we could borrow them and then they would painstakingly wash them. I do appreciate them trying to enforce the rule of having to wear eye wear but I sense a secret glee in charging us for their goggles.
They also have weird hours, so call ahead before making the trip.
The staff is nice enough, and to be fair the first time in they did briefly, and I do mean briefly, explain how the crazy point system works. And I didn’t have to wait in line at all, but is that a good thing for them? Maybe the other locations are better than this, but personally I rather try out another company next time. If you dare to bare it all at this tanning salon, I suggest coming prepared. Bring your own tanning lotion, your own goggles, and your own radio. With big speakers. Maybe they will get the message.

I found this tanning place when I first moved to Chicago a year ago and I love it. It is always clean, I have never waited more than 10 minutes, the staff is always friendly and helpful. I got a great deal, my first 3 months were free and I get unlimited tanning for $ 20 a month. (I think they run this deal a lot, I always see signs for it) They have several different beds you can upgrade to and you get a discount for being a member. There was no membership fee. And you can also put your membership on hold which is nice for the summer months. They also have several locations all throughout the city and in the suburbs as well. It is nice because sometimes I go to the one near work. I would definitely recommend to anyone.