Active Life Madarao

Our room lacked the double glass window so was quite cold at times. We were given another heater which was good.

I wish I could stay longer

Great location with excellent access to the slopes, restaurants, and the public parking area. Lisa who runs the place makes you feel warm and welcomed.

The location is walking distance to the ski resort, which made everything so easy. The room was also very spacious, and they even have an onsen with a beautiful view, which was perfect after a long day of skiing. They also have ski gear storage, which made it super convenient after a day on the slopes. We also really enjoyed the food — we tried their beef shabu-shabu, karaage, pizza, and pasta, and loved all of it. The staff were all so accommodating, especially Lisa. She’s amazing — she helped us book a taxi, allowed us to check in early, and was always so warm and hardworking. She was there when I woke up and still working when we were about to sleep. She truly made sure everyone felt comfortable and taken care of. Would 100% stay here again next winter.❄️

Everything about this property felt cozy and inviting! From the moment we arrived, Lisa and her staff gave us a tour of the hotel and the surrounding area, noting restaurants and how to get to the lift which was just a mere 2-3 minute walk away. The rooms were very comfortable, the onsite locker for ski gear was phenomenal and the onsen was just stunning and so relaxing! It's both an indoor and outdoor onsen so against the snow it was magical. At the end, staff helped us get our belongings to the bus and made returning our rental gear a breeze. Everything felt seamless and taken care of. We truly appreciate everyone there and hope to be back!

Thank you so much for making our first trip to the mountains in Japan such a good experience!!!

Everything was awesome our room was so lovely perfect size and all the comforts There was nothing

Active Life Madarao has a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Nothing is too much trouble for Lisa and her staff. The location is close to the ski lifts and restaurants are all very close by. Not much.

Exceptional

Great little find in a cute ski area. Lisa and the staff were so lovely and really made the stay fun. Great barista coffee to start the day and an onsen to finish it! Perfection! Even some areas to get a little work & study done with ease! A little run down but the staff made it a great vibe.

The location was excellent, very close to ski lift and rental place (about 5 minute walk across a parking lot). Breakfast was great with daily specials included (ham & eggs, french toast, etc.). The staff was very friendly and helpful, especially Lisa, who is the manager and personally checked in with us every day to make sure we had everything we needed and to give tips on local food and how to get around. The atmosphere overall was like being part of the family. We particularly liked the large dining room / bar area where you can come down after a long day and play games to relax. The rooms were simple, but absolutely adequate for a family of 4. The beds and pillows are incredibly comfortable, which is very important after a day of skiing. It was difficult to dry clothes at the end of the day since there are not many options to hang anything. There are dryers but it seemed like they were always taken. You could also hang larger items downstairs where you kept your ski equipment, but it would have been nice to have more places in the room to dry things.

Lisa, the manager, was an absolute star to help with everything during our stay and made our trip awesome. All the crew who worked there were great. Morning breakfast buffet had good basics and we enjoyed the cooked to order daily options included. Comfy beds and quality towels appreciated. Dinner at restaurant convenient and delicious. Good choice of wines at the bar for an apres drink. It’s not an ideal place for skiiers as though it’s a short walk to the slopes, it’s uphill and not comfortable in ski boots. We wore shoes and left them in a locker at the bottom of Madarao to avoid the pain. Ski equipment rental in Madarao was more expensive than anywhere else we rented at other resorts and less variety to choose from. Seems to be a Madarao specific thing (not the place we rented from). Only thing I would recommend is they label the skis as we had one set taken on the slopes by someone as they were identical.

Great spacious rooms. The beds are soooo comfortable. Easy walk to the ski slopes. Delicious dinners with a nice special each night. Nothing to mention.

Breakfast was good with a daily special. Ski hire through sister company was straightforwards and both organisations made the effort to make it easy for us. The family loved the pool tables and the table tennis. Thin walls meant we were kept up by multiple babies crying. Onsen was not hot enough. People didn't understand that they need to shower before going in the Onsen.

Active Life Madarao exceeded all expectations. We were met warmly by Lisa who made us feel welcome and could not do enough for us. During our stay, Lisa booked dinner for us at a local restaurant, ordered us a taxi and returned our ski rental gear. She went above and beyond the role of manager and made us feel nothing was too much trouble. The rooms were clean and a generous size by Japanese standards. The bathroom was a little on the tight size, but this seems standard for Japan. The bed was so comfortable and like sleeping on clouds which was welcomed after a long day on the slopes. A buffet style breakfast had a good variety of choice and eggs and bacon were cooked to your liking. A coffee machine meant you could order a coffee (paid) of your choice which turned out to be the best coffee I had in Japan. The staff at breakfast were warm and friendly and the service was excellent. In particular, it was lovely to talk to Ben and Louis and hear their stories. The bar was a great spot to sit in the afternoon after attacking the slopes and Matt did an awesome job in that space. The location of the hotel was prime, just a short walk across the carpark to the slopes. The hotel had an outdoor hot spa which was surrounded by snow. Another wow experience! Stuart was also helpful, sharing all his knowledge about the snow, ski fields and town of Madarao. Active Life Madarao is a gem of a hotel with an ideal location and great facilities. It is defiantly the staff and the service we received that made this property the highlight of our travels. After staying only 3 nights, it was like saying goodbye to family. Thank you Lisa, Stuart and staff for a truly remarkable stay.

The beds were incredibly comfortable and the staff was really friendly and helpful. No onsen.

We had an amazing time spending 5 nights at Active Life Madarao as a group of 8 friends spread across 4 rooms. The rooms were huge compared to any accommodation we've experienced in Japan, very comfy and warm (the ability to open the windows and a space heater to customise the room to the perfect temperature for your preference was great!). Very close walk to the Madarao slopes and the open air hot bath was a perfect way to relax at the end of the day (Remember to bring bathers!). But above all, our host Lisa was such a delight, her exceptional service helped us so much through our time and really made us feel at home during our stay (helping us find alternative instructors when our ski school cancelled on us at the last minute, finding us taxis when the bus routes were altered, organising luggage transfers, and even organising with the chef to make a birthday cake for our mate celebrating his 30th!) Thank you so much!! We will be back ?

Large room + excellent location Food

This was the best hotel. The beds were so comfortable and the staff were so friendly. The rooms were very clean.

nice rooms and facilities like onsite bar, restaurant and onsen that was very well used after a great day on the slopes. nothing as close to other restaurants and bars. short walk to the slope so all positive.