Palm Beach Tan vs Sun Tan City: Which Tanning Chain Is Right for You?

If you've spent any time researching tanning memberships, you've probably run into the same two names over and over: Palm Beach Tan and Sun Tan City. They're the two biggest branded tanning chains in the country, and they compete directly in a lot of the same markets. But they're built a little differently — different footprint, different membership structure, different approach to add-on wellness services.

This isn't a "which one is objectively better" article, because the honest answer is: it depends on where you live and what you actually want out of a membership. Here's how they stack up.

Company Background

Palm Beach Tan has been around since 1990 and has grown into the largest indoor tanning chain in the country, with several hundred locations nationwide. It's known for its "superstore" model — large-format salons with a dozen or more beds under one roof, often anchored in big retail centers. Palm Beach Tan also owns the Planet Tan brand in some markets, so you may run into its equipment and pricing structure under a different sign.

Sun Tan City is younger, founded in 1999 by brothers Rick and David Kueber out of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and has expanded to a few hundred locations of its own — heavily concentrated in the Southeast and Ohio Valley, with a growing franchise footprint elsewhere. It's grown fast for a private company, but it's still noticeably more regional than Palm Beach Tan, so whether it's even an option for you depends heavily on your zip code.

Membership Structure

Both chains use tiered monthly memberships rather than simple pay-per-visit pricing, and both structure those tiers around equipment level rather than visit count — pay more, get access to higher-intensity beds.

Pricing varies significantly by salon and region for both brands — treat the numbers above as a rough starting point, not a quote.

The big structural difference: Palm Beach Tan's mid-tier plans (Premier Signature) bundle sunbed, spray, and wellness services into one flexible membership, while Sun Tan City keeps beds and spray tanning as more clearly separate products, with VIP All-Access being the one plan that combines everything. If you mainly want one service and don't want to pay for the others, Sun Tan City's structure is a little more straightforward. If you like to rotate between sunbed and spray depending on the week, Palm Beach Tan's bundled tiers may work out better.

Equipment and Bed Levels

Neither chain publishes a single universal numbering system that applies at every location — equipment mix depends on the individual salon. That said, both use a broadly similar concept: lower tiers get you access to base UV beds built for building a foundation tan, and higher tiers unlock higher-intensity equipment designed to darken an existing tan faster, plus amenities like aromatherapy, air conditioning, and premium sound systems in the higher-end rooms.

If the tier-vs-bed-strength relationship is confusing, we've broken down how that numbering typically works in our tanning bed levels guide — most of the same logic applies whether you're standing in a Palm Beach Tan or a Sun Tan City.

Spray Tanning

Both chains run automated spray tan booths rather than hand-applied airbrush sessions, and both let you pick a color depth (light, medium, dark) with the darker options usually costing extra. Palm Beach Tan's booths use a multi-nozzle, sensor-guided process; Sun Tan City rotates between a couple of booth brands depending on location. In practice, the booth model matters less than how well an individual salon maintains its solution and cleans between sessions — that's true of automated booths at any brand.

Wellness Add-Ons

This is where the two brands have diverged the most in recent years. Palm Beach Tan has leaned into wellness with LightStim red light therapy panels and infrared sauna services bundled into its higher membership tiers. Sun Tan City has followed a similar path with its own "Wellness Spa" services bundled into VIP All-Access. Neither is universal — availability depends on whether a given salon has the space and equipment installed, so if red light therapy or a sauna is the deciding factor for you, confirm it's actually on-site at your specific location before signing up.

Convenience and Booking

Both chains have moved toward app-based convenience: checking wait times, booking a session, managing your membership, and finding a salon on the go. Palm Beach Tan and Sun Tan City both now support online appointment booking through their apps and websites, in addition to walk-in service, so you're no longer stuck guessing whether a bed will be free when you show up. That said, app features and how consistently they're kept up to date can vary by location, so if you're visiting a salon for the first time, a quick call ahead is still the safest way to confirm a specific bed level or wellness service is actually available on-site that day.

Cancellation and Freeze Policies

Both chains advertise no long-term contracts, which is standard across the tanning industry at this point — the real question is how flexible cancellation and freezing actually are in practice. Palm Beach Tan and Sun Tan City both let you freeze a membership rather than cancel outright if you know you'll be away for a while, though most locations require at least one full month of payment before you can freeze or cancel. Sun Tan City's FAQ notes cancellations need to go through before the last day of the billing month to avoid an extra charge, and reactivating after a freeze typically comes with a pro-rated fee based on your membership level. Palm Beach Tan follows a similar pattern, plus a short window (commonly 30 days) to cancel a new membership if you change your mind shortly after signing up. None of this is unusual — it's worth reading before you sign, but it shouldn't be a dealbreaker either way.

Retail Products

Both chains lean on in-salon retail as a meaningful part of the business, not just an afterthought. Palm Beach Tan sells its own Premier Collection line of accelerators, bronzers, and after-care lotions, with staff trained to recommend a product based on your skin type and the bed level you're using. Sun Tan City takes a similar approach, stocking a rotating lineup of name-brand and house tanning lotions alongside its bed and spray memberships. If you're new to tanning, it's worth asking a consultant at either chain what's actually necessary for your first few sessions rather than buying into a full lotion regimen on day one — a basic moisturizer is often enough while you figure out how your skin responds.

Which One Should You Pick?

• You travel a lot or live somewhere without many tanning options — Palm Beach Tan's larger national footprint gives you better odds of finding a location, and your membership travels with you.
• You're in the Southeast, Ohio Valley, or another Sun Tan City stronghold and want a straightforward, budget-first entry tier — Sun Tan City's Fast membership and clearer separation between bed and spray products may suit you better.
• You want beds, spray, and wellness bundled into one predictable monthly bill — Palm Beach Tan's Premier Signature and Premier Elite tiers are built around that.
• You mainly want one specific service and don't want to pay for extras — either brand's single-service tier works, so compare actual local pricing rather than the brand name.

The honest bottom line: neither chain is universally better. They compete hardest in overlapping markets (much of the South and Midwest), and in those areas the deciding factor usually comes down to which salon is closer, which one has the equipment tier you actually want, and which one's current promotion makes financial sense that month.

A Quick Safety Note

Regardless of which chain or salon you choose, UV tanning carries real risk. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) — the World Health Organization's cancer research arm — classifies UV-emitting tanning devices as a Group 1 carcinogen, the same category as tobacco. Both Palm Beach Tan and Sun Tan City, like any licensed tanning salon, are required to follow state rules on exposure schedules and, in most states, restrict UV tanning for minors. If you're new to tanning or unsure what schedule is appropriate for your skin type, a consultation with a trained staff member before your first session is worth the few extra minutes.

Finding a Salon Near You

Not everyone lives near a Palm Beach Tan or a Sun Tan City, and that's fine — plenty of independently owned salons offer the same equipment tiers, comparable pricing, and often more personal service. TanningSalonFinder lists both national chains and independent salons side by side, so you can compare what's actually available in your area instead of assuming one of the two big names is your only option.

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Frequently Asked Questions