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Reviews of Active Life Madarao

3.5 out of 5
Active Life Madarao
11492-175 Iiyama, Iiyama, Nagano Prefecture

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 22 out of 47 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 16 out of 47 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 47 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 47 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 47 reviews" "

8.0/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

David

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay in Madarao
Excellent base for a Madarao ski trip. Room was spacious enough for all our gear and had a very comfy bed. Staff were all brilliant and went out of their way to help us when we messed up our logistics. Outdoor Onsen was a major plus and excellent after a day on the hill. Loved Madarao too. Great ski hill and loads of fun places for the evening.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Colleen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Anthony

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is our second trip at the property, We found the staff help full and very accommodating. The property could do with a few upgrades, but generally its has all the facilities needed for a great snow holiday.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderfull family vacation with great hosts!
Our 3 night felt we had been there weeks. The staff, especially Lisa the manager and her husband Stuart, were so lovely and always available for any of our needs, they made us feel like family. Lisa had a saying that if a yes to your request wasn't available she would find a way around it to fulfill your request. The hotel was super clean and everything felt and looked new. The food was great and the service was impeccable. When we went to get our ski gear we noticed it was all brand new and some of the gear even had the tags in it. Loved the stay and would go there again. I Would 100% recommend staying there.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Myles

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent stay, the manager and the team were wonderful, going beyond the usual and we really enjoyed our stay. We are so grateful to the management for helping us when our car got stuck a few km from the hotel. The building is old but the location is good, being close to the top of a run down to the main lift area. Rooms are nicely renovated, and the public areas have a lot of space with really good facilities, including a games room, ski rental place, several lounge areas and a large dining area. There is also an onsen on site - remember to bring swimming things since it is mixed.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Karen

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lisa and Stewart were amazing hosts. Went above and beyond for all guests. Really nice atmosphere, friendly little bar onsite. Ski/Board lessons & hire onsite. Great location. Short 5 min walk to ski lift. Great little bar/s and restaurants close. Madarao is very quiet ski town. The Mountain can get busy during weekends/holiday's.

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great
Stayed in a deluxe type room, very comfortable bed, really clean bath and new-looking appliances all around. The common areas were also very warm and comfy, and the staff nice and accommodating. Literally in front of the bus stop and 3 min. walk to the ski lifts. 10/10 would stay again. They have a drink vending machine, but also having some snacks available for purchase at the hotel would have been great.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022

4/10 Poor

LORENZO

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice staff, but the place itself is dirty and stinks to humid all over the place. Also you need to pay extra for the onsen… Won't repeat.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from Active Life Madarao on 6 Jan,2022
Dear Lorenzo, Thank you for your recent stay and review. Whilst the building is a little old and tired there is regular cleaning. Regarding the onsen, the price is fair because you are reserving a private family onsen and can allow as many guests as you like for the same price. Other families have found the price very reasonable also there are not any mix onsen in the area. Your feedback is very important to us to improve and we thank you.

10/10 Excellent

Jeroen

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A real nice hotel, where customers are still taken for value. Easy access to the Madarao ski slopes (100 m walk). Decent breakfast made with care and possibility to have dinner as well. Attention to detail with bar, games area, children area and not to forget the possibility to rent the outdoor Onsen. With the snow on one side this was a real treat. Not to forget the excellent service minded staff !!!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021

8/10 Good

Drew, Darwin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The room I had was great, and large, judging by my previous Japan trips. The staff were very good. The included breakfast was a great way to start the day. The bar and restaurant were fine. And the drying room was good also nicely heated. If I am back in Madarao I would have no problems staying here again.
Stayed 9 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved all the amenities available to us here. The free yoga, free breakfast, hot Onsen. Bedding was super comfy and staff was always pleasant. The lifts are a short (but steep) walk away. Bus stop practically right outside.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

P&A, HK

Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It actually feels cozy wherever you go within the property, the room, the welcoming desk, the bar, the lounge, the stockroom etc.! Of course, it's only minutes walk from the very pretty ski area!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

4/10 Poor

Sue

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Glorified back packers.
For the price we were very disappointed, the property is really a glorified back packers. The bedroom was a reasonable size if not on small size, the bed was very comfortable and the linen was very good. However the staff and the foyer let the property down. The staff appeared to have little hospitality training and while some were lovely to deal with others left a lot to desired. The bar, foyer and common areas need renovation.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

chiu kai

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A relaxing Madarao stay!
Snow condition was excellent when we arrived at Iiyama station. Although a clear direction from bus stop to the hotel entrance was informed, we took a Jumbo taxi which only cost 2-3k JPY more than the bus ride for 4 persons, a snowboard bag and 4 luggage. The room is spacious in size, with new comfy beds and towels, and has the nicest view. Very good breakfast and dinner, kids play area, relaxing bar. My girls love the brownie at coffee corner. The most valuable asset of the hotel is the staff. They are very smart, hard working, extremely helpful and friendly. Thank you all very much for taking care of our stay. Cheers!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Nice rooms but pics only show the nice half of the renovation However there were not many nice looking places to stay so we settled with this one Breakfast was ok They ran out of the dinner special at 7pm...
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness
The only thing saving this hotel is the fact that they have Netflix. Out room was filthy, with old slippers from the last people that stayed in the room left under the bed (along with bottles and dust). Our room had no towels, which we only realised once we got out of the shower (and by then it was too late). The staff are mostly immature and young kids with no experience, and hog the hotel amentinities such as the spa, meaning you have to wait ages before you can get in. Really didn’t enjoy this place.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very good location re skiing. Room very good. Staff were friendly and helpful but not all staff quite up to speed re service. A simple safety example - steps in snow at entrance were not cut (where there was slippery slope)
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel in a good spot, less than 100m from the lifts, and close to a range of restaurants and bars. Rooms have been nicely renovated. Outdoor bath is nice, but wasn't always available for us due to some issues. During our stay the staff were young, inexperienced and english speakers, which is fine for foreigners but may seem a little odd to Japanese folk. The staff were in general friendly and quite layed back, which again is fine in a ski resort, however I expected the management could have been a bit more professional. I'm sure these minor shortcomings will be resolved over time.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

kara

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay
LOVED our stay at Active Life, great location, amazing comfy Western beds, Netflix for a rest day (although Wifi wasn't always working), great hot breakfasts and cool bar. Only negative was that front desk staff member could be friendlier and better service regarding bookings on shuttles , tours etc could have been given.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

karen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
If English is your preference, this is the place!
Active Life has a few properties in the area so please make sure you know which one you’re going to! Don’t be like us and get mixed up! The room was a good size with private en-suite. The lamp wasn’t working but we reported it and it didn’t make that much of a difference. The staff was hit or miss. Some people were really on the ball, others not so much. We made use of the complimentary shuttle that takes you to another resort in the area so we spent time at Myoko Kogen and Nozawa Onsen. Driver was excellent. Breakfast was good but wasn’t always made correctly. Not a big deal again but to some it might. I’d recommend that the management make sure trash is emptied on a regular basis (in particular, the bin in the storage room). Also, the communal washing and drying machines could use a solid cleaning! I kind of felt like I was living in a frat house.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Fu Wa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly staff, good location close to restaurants and slope, comfortable stay.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2018

8/10 Good

richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We booked late and were in the unrenovated room (shared bathroom), but it was nice. Facilities were clean, including Japanese style hot spring bath. Location was right across from the mountain, which was convenient. They also had a rental shop and local beers on tap. Can't say enough good things about the staff! Super helpful, nice, and English speaking. They were able to help us with lift tickets, gear, and morning coffee before hitting the slopes. Overall, we enjoyed the stay and look forward to powder skiing there in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Naoki

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

8/10 Good

mitsunori

8/10 Good

Masakazu

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

SHINOZAKI

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022

6/10 Okay

HIROTAKA

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Hiromichi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022

8/10 Good

Nami

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
デラックスルームでした。お風呂が広めで快適でした！
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022

6/10 Okay

りえ

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

8/10 Good

マイ

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

8/10 Good

YUYA

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

ユウキ

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
スタッフの対応が温かく、すごくくつろげた。 室内はまぁ汚くはないが清潔とは言えない。 お風呂やトイレはリフォームされており綺麗です。 その他不便はなくリラックス出来る施設でした。
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021
Response from Active Life Madarao on 4 Jan,2022
Dear Guest, We appreciate everyone`s feedback and thank you for your contribution. A remark like `Terrible` however, is not constructive to our management team or other travelers. If you did not enjoy your stay for any reason we would certainly appreciate a more descriptive explaination of your stay so we can improve our service and facilities where it may be needed. Other travelers have enjoyed their time with us and if you for any reason have not it is certainly at our best interest to know where we can improve.

10/10 Excellent

HISAKO

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

8/10 Good

Eiji

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
アットホーム
停電もあったけど、頑張ってココアを準備したり、すごいアットホームなホテルでした。
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2020

4/10 Poor

VICTORIA, 香港

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness
我住入大門右手面樓下尾房共3晚。一開門已經嗅到濃烈殺蟲水味道，最初以為因為郊區要預防小昆蟲，但第2晚見到有蜘蛛絲由天花扳直到地下，後來在電視後牆身見到有隻手長腳長蜘蛛向上爬出來☹️嚇到我傻，最終我打死隻蜘蛛，但之後都瞓得不安☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
外国人スタッフのみで日本語対応出来るスタッフがいないので、日本の方が滞在されるときは英語対応でも苦にならなければ大丈夫だと思います。日本なのに海外にいるような感覚で過ごせます。大浴場も案内されましたが、外国人使用の水着着用のお風呂なので湯船につかるのを楽しむという感じです。
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
晴れたら最高
２回目のリピーターです。 前回は吹雪でしたが、 今回は快晴で、夕食も食べに行けるし 最高でした。 スキー場も空いている気がして、 また来年も来ます
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
リピート決定
斑尾高原スキー場から近く、場所も分かりやすいためスムーズに到着。徒歩圏内に飲食店もあり立地は申し分ないです。部屋もとても広く綺麗でした。ダーツやビリヤードもあり、スノーボードの後も子供は夢中で遊んでいました。
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

6/10 Okay

wick, Tokyo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
スキー場すぐの好立地
ホテルのスタッフはほとんど外国の方ですが対応が良く、部屋も小奇麗で清潔感がありよかったです。朝食は味、ボリューム感ともに満足しました。
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
日本にいながら海外感覚
日本のスキー場近くのホテルですが、 従業員、宿泊客ともに外国の方がとにかく多い。 ここ、日本だっけ？と何度思ったことか。 海外旅行気分でした。 でも、部屋も大きくておしゃれな感じ。 かつ、洗濯機、乾燥機もあって便利でした。 英語話せるかたなら、最高では？
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
お部屋が綺麗だった。でも日本語はなかなか通じません。