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At Active Life Madarao, we take care of everything from sport, to food, to rest so you can focus on your adventure. Active Life is not a hotel, it’s an awesome curated experience.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
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We were a bit hesitant given the reviews from last season, but they couldn’t have been further from the reality of our stay at Active Life. From the moment we stepped in the door, Lisa the manager was incredibly helpful and hospitable. Her explanation of the hotel was very informative and set the tone for a great stay at Active Life. Ironically it is rare in hospitality to come across someone with her energy and passion. The hotel is very well setup with great facilities (onsens, drying room, in house bar and even table tennis tables). The rooms are large and modern with really comfortable beds and large private shower/bathroom (you even have access to Netflix). After 10 days of ryokans we really appreciated the change. It’s ideally located, within 5 mins walk to the top of the Madarao resort and rental hire. They even have a complimentary shuttle back to Iiyama station. The staff are really welcoming - we had good chats with Hamish who drove us back to Iiyama. We loved the little town of Madarao - definitely try Shaggy Yak (great Japanese snacks and beer) and the massive burgers at Unjaune. The only downsides to the hotel for us was that the hotel was too hot, which was difficult at night when you are trying to sleep. Also there were quite a lot of kids as it seemed to cater to families, but that’s hard to avoid. We intend to come back as we didn’t have enough snow unfortunately for the famous Madarao tree runs - and we would definitely stay at Active Life again.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were so happy with our stay here - it was such a positive experience!
First of all, the service we received from booking to check out was great. In particular, Ploy st the front desk takes such good care of the guests and is always happy to help with any questions or helping you with restaurant bookings etc.
We liked that Active Life helps make the whole ski experience run smoothly. They offered lessons (free for beginners!), discounted lift passes, shuttle from the Shinkansen at particular times, and have a connected rental shop. That just made everything super simple. The hotel is a 5 min walk from the slopes, there is a bus stop outside or at the slopes, and plenty of great restaurants within walking distance. We also enjoyed the free yoga and the outdoor onsen on site which was a great way to end the day.
We didn’t get round to trying the restaurant as we wanted to venture out, but we heard good things about the new chef. It’s a shame the beer at the bar is expensive otherwise we would have had drinks there more often.
Our room was simple but very clean, and the new looking en-suite fitted with all the normal Japanese bathroom features. The property looks a bit tired in some places (understand AL bought it a couple of years ago) but has plenty of new facilities, including games room, yoga/massage room, drying room, bar and restaurant etc.
Only feedback is that the rooms could do with more hooks/racks for drying towels etc, and the door does let in enough light that I needed an eyepatch to sleep. The continental breakfast option could be better, but we were really happy with the hot options and the service was great for us (though we weren’t staying in the super busy weeks).
We would definitely book again!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The location of the hotel is really great; close enough to the ski lifts as well as must-try restaurants (including the Fat Chef!). Ploy, Lan and Hamish went out of their way to help make our stay enjoyable. They're passionate about what they do and treated all guests like VIPs :)
We felt right at home in our comfortable and generously-sized deluxe double suite. Everything seemed clean and tidy, and the on-site public bath was a real treat after a day of snowboarding.
You won't regret booking a stay here if you're in Madarao.
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Comfortable mountain lodge, excellent base for skiing. Friendly staff managed by an Australian couple, everyone knew our names after about 2 days. Warm, clean rooms, solid food, beer on tap, well equipped ski shop, unlimited free beginner lessons, 100m walk till you can put your skis on, bus stop directly adjacent the hotel. It’s not The Ritz but it’s perfect
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was our first-year skiing in Madarao, and we were lucky to get some snow when we were there. We had a family room, which was nice. There is an onsite public bath that we did not have time to try.
The onsite restaurant ( Fat Chef ) is really good, but they do need signage as more than once I helped people looking for the restaurant. Their burgers were pretty good. There is also a hamburger place across the road. There are a few other places nearby, but we did not get to try many of them in the four days we were there.
The people working at Active Life were all very nice and friendly, mostly Australians and Kiwis. Finally, and MOST importantly, I cannot say enough good things about Ploy. She made the visit special for us. Active Life may not have been a five-star hotel, but Ploy made it feel like one.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Check out the shuttle to other resorts in the area
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First and foremost, the beds and pillows were very comfortable! The room was big enough for the two of us with luggage and the bed big enough if you're 6.5ft. The hot bath was a real gem after big days on the slopes, clean and hot! We ate at the Fat Chef restaurant multiple nights and loved the food, it was fresh and full of flavour. Super convenient having the bar and restaurant onsite however several restaurants/bars are close by. Fiona did an amazing job instructing yoga (free onsite). All the other staff encountered were friendly and helpful, felt very comfortable here. Special mention to Oscar and Ploy fro being such champions! Short walk to the slopes but there's the option to leave gear closer if you don't want to walk it from the accommodation and back each day. We travelled last week of Feb (end of season) but had a massive dump of snow which made for an awesome time on the slopes!
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Really enjoyed my stay at Active Life Madarao, I chose this property due to its close proximity to the ski lifts, the rooms had recently been re furbished, the bed was comfy, The bathroom was good, love the warm toilet seats ! And the room itself was a good size. The room was serviced and linen changed regularly. The included breakfast was a most welcome feature. One down side I has, is room 306 being just off the lobby, it was quite noisy at times. The bar and restaurant were good also, staff were quite friendly and helpful. If i stay in Madarao again I would have no issue staying here.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you like 5 star accomodation and silver service then don’t stay here. If you like to feel comfortable and welcome and feel like you’re crashing at a friends place then this is the place to stay.
The hotel is simple and not really refined but it is very comfy. It has a gorgeous indoor/outdoor (mixed) onsen, clean and spacious rooms and a small but ample bar/restaurant with a good selection of food and drink at reasonable prices; but what really makes this place is the friendly vibe. The staff are so relaxed and genuinely friendly and always up for a chat, even the owner wandered over to my table at the bar tonight, introduced himself, sat down and had a long chat with me about everything from snow to family.
This is my third visit to Japan and my first for the snow, I think it is the first of many and frankly I can’t see why I’d bother to stay anywhere else.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our first trip to Madarao and this hotel was in the perfect location to ski some beautiful runs. Just a short walk to the lift to hit the slopes. The rooms were clean and spacious and with great views. We had meals included which were tasty especially the apple pie! On Valentines Day the staff went to a big effort decorating and serving a special meal 👏🏼. Staff were welcoming and attentive and had a great sense of humour. Special mention to Sean for great barista skills. That coffee art is pure class! Vanessa, thanks for the hot tips for dinner locations. Guests should take notes as all were perfect choices. If you want great ski or board hire you can’t go past stopping to see Casey and Dan. Our demo skis hit the mark thank you. Although I have it on good authority that Josh and Georgia are great too! If you want great drinks at the bar then Harry can help you. The bar is a good area to hang out and we can’t wait to see the completed renovations in that area of the hotel which will make it a good apres ski spot for guests and others. And not to forget great hospitality from Yannis and Joaquin. If you have spare time then take a trip to see the snow monkeys. It’s well worth the trip and the team can help organise transport. And of course a big thanks to management Lisa and Stuart for your enthusiasm for making the hotel a home away from home. Busy planning our next trip!
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Perfectly located , a short walk to the slopes each morning, walking distance to numerous restaurants, or dine in for a hot pot at night after a long day on the slopes and a relaxing ensen. Lisa and Stewart are fantastic hosts who look after everything you need. Our 3 teenage boys stayed in one of the family rooms, and my wife and I in a deluxe room. The beds are super comfortable, the facilities are great for young kids or teenagers, and the bar is a hit for the adults. Couldn't recommend it highly enough, we had a fantastic stay.
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Date of stay: January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Iiyama area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$319 - AU$489 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Laforet Champia
LOCATION
JapanChubuKoshinetsuNagano PrefectureIiyama
NUMBER OF ROOMS
23
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