Active Life Madarao

Comfortable room with adequate storage, comfortable bed and pillow and a nice view over the valley. Nice breakfast and dinner (which we had included) but if you are staying more than a few nights, you'd want to try some other dinner options. Dinner menu had several Japanese options and then a couple of specials. Really loved the apple pie. Hotel unexpectedly had a hot pool which unfortunately was not very hot at 5 pm (apparently needed to use later). Location is a very short walk to the ski lifts and the Madarao Hotel Onsen - which was excellent to use. Lisa and her staff were excellent to deal with and I loved the yes attitude. We asked for a dry rack and extra lamp for the room and Lisa provided immediately. Also really liked that Lisa would organise your luggage to be collected from the bus stop and taken back to the bus stop so we didn't have to drag our bags on the 3 min walk in the snow. Will stay again when we go to Madarao.

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 🙂

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.

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 property is so close to the main Madarao lift, the staff (Lisa, Stu, the chef, everyone) go out of their way to make your stay everything it needs to be. Nothing is a problem that can’t be solved. Breakfast included every day is great, dinner and bar on site is good as well (or lots of other options in short walking distance as well). Beds are comfy, rooms are quite large by Japan standards, onsite onsen was great, free use of washer/dryer.