Solar Salon

Profile

With its immaculate hardwood floors, in-house product line, and a DJ creating a new soundtrack every week, Solar Salon feels worlds away from the typical indoor tanning franchise. Owner Alexander Moffat presides over the duo of sleek salons, both of which feature nearly half a dozen tanning beds—like the popular Giant Sun from Dr. Müller—equipped with XM Satellite radio, along with stand-up booths and UV-free spray booths. At the entrance, a sci-fi-esque fingerprint recognition kiosk enables quick check-in for regulars, and also recommends tanning bed times and lotions based on your tanning history, à la a bronzed Amazon.com. For new clients, the salon offers Solar Typing, their proprietary method of categorizing your skin type, as a guide to achieving the most flattering color for you. Solar Salon also boasts a host of membership packages, so everyone from habitual bakers to special occasion spray-tanners can get a (bronze) bang for their buck. — Carolyn Murnick