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Xplore by Active Life

3.0 star property
Winter adventures await at Xplore by Active Life, where days filled with on-site sledding and snowshoeing complement relaxing breakfasts in a stylish setting

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Photo gallery for Xplore by Active Life

Hot springs - Xplore by Active Life (Myoko)
Lobby sitting area - Xplore by Active Life (Myoko)
Hot springs - Xplore by Active Life (Myoko)
Restaurant - Xplore by Active Life (Myoko)
Mountain view - Xplore by Active Life (Myoko)
Located near Tangram Ski Circus, Xplore by Active Life offers cooked-to-order breakfasts and daily manager's receptions. Guests can relax at the bar or restaurant after on-site sledding and snowshoeing. Multilingual staff help visitors make the most of their winter stay.

Reviews

7.2 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
  • Bar
  • Laundry

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 5 of 5 rooms

View all photos for Deluxe Room

Deluxe Room | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Deluxe Room

  • Mountain view
  • 25 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Standard Queen

Standard Queen | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Standard Queen

7.0 out of 10
Good
(2 reviews)
  • Mountain view
  • 19 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Compact Queen

Compact Queen | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Compact Queen

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)
  • Mountain view
  • 12 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Standard Twin

Standard Twin | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Standard Twin

  • 19 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Twin Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Family Connecting Room

Family Connecting Room | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Family Connecting Room

  • Mountain view
  • 50 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 8
  • 2 Queen Beds and 2 Twin Beds
  • Free WiFi

About the neighborhood

Madarao Mountain Resort, a neighborhood in Myoko, is home to Xplore by Active Life. Madarao Kogen Ski Resort and Tangram Ski Circus are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Joyama Park and Jigokudani Monkey Park. Myoko Kogen and Togari Onsen Ski Resort are two other places to visit that come recommended. Spend some time exploring the area's activities, including downhill skiing. Visit our Myoko travel guide
Map
1101-155, Tarumoto, Ohaza, Myoko, Niigata, 389-2261

What's nearby

  • Snowy mountains in Madarao, Japan; Shutterstock ID 1056036812; Purchase Order: -
    Madarao Kogen Ski Resort
    2 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort
    Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort
    41 min drive - 17.2 miles
  • Jigokudani Monkey Park
    Jigokudani Monkey Park
    61 min drive - 22.1 miles
  • Madarao Kogen Picture Book Art Museum
    6 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • Tangram Ski Circus
    8 min drive - 2.9 miles

Getting around

  • Iiyama Station
    19 min drive
  • Kaesa Station
    25 min drive
  • Niigata Airport (KIJ)
    160 min drive

Restaurants

  • レストラン ハイジ
    17 min walk
  • トワサンク
    16 min walk
  • レストランBanff
    2 min drive
  • レストラン ジグザグ
    5 min drive
  • 飯山駅ナカ酒場 えっぺ
    10 min drive

About this property

Xplore by Active Life

Hotel near Madarao Kogen Ski Resort
Located close to Tangram Ski Circus, Xplore by Active Life provides free cooked-to-order breakfast, a free daily manager's reception, and laundry facilities. Enjoy onsite activities like sledding and snowshoeing. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with a bar and a restaurant.
You'll also enjoy perks such as:
  • Luggage storage, smoke-free premises, and a TV in the lobby
  • A front-desk safe, multilingual staff, and a vending machine
  • Games
  • Guest reviews give good marks for the overall condition
Room features
All 61 rooms include amenities such as free WiFi.
Extra amenities include:
  • Smart TVs with Netflix
  • Wardrobes/closets, electric kettles, and heating

Similar properties

Exterior
Hotel Madarao
Madarao Mountain Resort
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
  • Air conditioning
6.6 out of 10, 37 reviews
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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • No onsite parking available

Food and drink

  • Free cooked-to-order breakfast available daily 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Free daily manager's reception

Things to do

  • Games
  • Ski equipment rentals
  • Ski storage
  • Sledding
  • Snowshoeing
  • TV in common areas

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk
  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (on request)
  • Multilingual staff

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • No elevator
  • Well-lit path to entrance

More

  • Smoking not allowed

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer (on request)
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Netflix
  • Smart TV

Food and drink

  • Electric kettle

More

  • Heating

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 9 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 16

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
If you are planning to arrive after 9 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
1 child, up to the age of 6 years, can stay for free if using existing beds when occupying the parent or guardian's room
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Minimum Spring Break check-in age is 16 years old
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare requires all international visitors to submit their passport number and nationality when registering at any lodging facility (inns, hotels, motels, etc. ); additionally, lodging proprietors are required to photocopy passports for all registering guests and keep the photocopy on file

Frequently asked questions

Is Xplore by Active Life pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking?

Xplore by Active Life doesn't offer parking.

What time is check-in at Xplore by Active Life?

Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 9 PM. Late check-in is available during limited hours.

What time is check-out at Xplore by Active Life?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Xplore by Active Life located?

Located in Madarao Mountain Resort, this hotel is steps from Madarao Kogen Ski Resort and 1.8 mi (3 km) from Tangram Ski Circus. Joyama Park and Myoko Kogen are also within 9 mi (15 km).

Can I cancel my reservation for free and receive a full refund?

Yes, this property offers free cancellation on select room rates, because flexibility matters! Please refer to the property cancellation policy on our site for more details about any exclusions or requirements.

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Reviews

Xplore by Active Life Reviews

7.2

Good

7.6

Cleanliness

8.8

Location

8.2

Staff & service

7.4

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 16 out of 56 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 14 out of 56 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 14 out of 56 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 8 out of 56 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 56 reviews

Reviews

Verified

8/10 Good

John

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean nice room. Mice staff
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

6/10 Okay

YIU CHEONG

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Not clear enough. No cleaning. Breakfast can be improve. Communal bath is a feature.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Amy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Helpful and friendly staff made me feel taken care of in this solo trip to Madarao for snowboarding. Communication before arrival has been great. The manager picked me up early in the morning from the bus stop and had my room ready, which I didn’t expect. This allow me to get changed comfortably in my room and jump right into action without delay. Free breakfast, though simple, has everything that I needed to get me through most of the day. The bath house is fairly basic, nothing fancy but good for a soak after a long day. My room on the top floor and at the end of the hallway was clean and quiet. It’s a comfortable stay. Upon check out, I got another ride to the bus stop from the manager who was already waiting for me in the vehicle ahead of time. I will stay here again next time I go there. Note: The building has 3 stories and a basement with no elevator. Check in lobby is on the first floor. It’s easier to go in from the side entrance on the 2nd floor and leave the luggage’s at the designated spot before checking in.
Lobby and breakfast hall
Breakfast
Hallway
2nd floor luggage parking
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2026
Verified

6/10 Okay

Stephen

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The property is very dated with no lift only stairs. Basic 3 star and in need of a re fit. Staff were good
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

brendan

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location friendly staff
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

8/10 Good

Scott

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very close to madarao main lift, excellent choice if you don’t want an authentic Japanese experience
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

6/10 Okay

Chi Lung

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
A very basic hostel type of accommodation. The daily breakfast provided not really nice. Some of the facilities are old or in repair.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

6/10 Okay

YIU CHEONG

Disliked: Cleanliness
Cleaning room and changing towel. Lock the door after open the room to clean.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

4/10 Poor

Veronika

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
During the first night of our stay, there were several unresolved issues: • one electrical outlet in the room did not work • the heater made continuous loud water noises for hours at night • staff said they could not repair these issues • we were asked to “reduce the heating,” even though it was below freezing outside Additionally, the bathroom ventilation fan was covered with thick dust, and we saw an insect on the wall, which raised hygiene concerns. We requested a room change. Although the hotel eventually moved us to another room for the second night, the first night of our stay was significantly affected and we could not rest properly.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Joshua

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Moderao ski area

We had an amazing time there! The hotel was ran by a couple young Australian people who were great!! It was so nice to go to a hotel in japan and have people who spoke English easily! The food was westernized, which was amazing!!! The Onsen doesn’t fallow Japanese rules, they allow tattoos and you have to wear swimwear! 11/10. Totally recommend
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Verified

4/10 Poor

Hiro

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Staff was very nice, but that does not make up for the horrible cost-performance of the hotel. Parts of the building are shut down, the onsen is half disassembled (joint male-female onsen), sauna shut down, rooms very basic, breakfast with bare minimum buffet, yet is priced at double any nearby lodge and at 1.5x the much better Madarao Kogen Hotel. Guess the investors have to get a high IRR on their investment to buy and minimally renovate the hotel.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

MASAMI

ハイシーズンの価格で仕方ないと思いますが、値段の割に室内設備が古く、掃除も行き届き方ももう少しと期待してしまいます
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

6/10 Okay

TING CHIEH

Liked: Staff & service
客房暖氣每間暖度不太一樣，有些房間有衣架有些沒有。 早餐很簡單，吃了四天只有一樣菜和麵包會更換，其餘每天都一樣。
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

6/10 Okay

Stephanie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
L’hôtel est vieillissant il faudrait lire redonner un petit coup de neuf La chambre est correcte
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

6/10 Okay

YINGYING

Liked: Staff & service
客房清潔度普通 有上一個住客留下來的零食在櫃子
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2025
Verified

2/10 Terrible

?

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
スキー場利用の為に宿泊しましたが駐車場がわからずスタッフが外国の方の為翻訳アプリでしか会話が出来ず苦労しましたしかも駐車場は無し。 部屋も通風口？から大量にカメ虫が入って来て駆除しても次々入って来てホラーゲームの様でした。 ディナーを後から頼めるのは良いシステムでしたが支払い時に機械が遅く10分ぐらい待たされました、朝食はスクランブルエッグに大きな卵の殻が入っていたのとバターと書かれた物は味的にマーガリンでした。 アメニティも無く宿泊されるのであれば歯ブラシやカミソリは持参した方がよいです。
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2025
Verified

4/10 Poor

Ka ho

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Worst accommodation in japan ever

Room is very very small, when I made the booking I saw 2 double bed in the pictures and I have booked for 2 adults and 1 child. However once we checked in we found out there is only a queen size bed avail in the room. The worst thing is you have to share one male and one female toilet with 12 other rooms. That’s insane. Dry room is useless there is no heat at all during my stay, the heater has no oil at all . Breakfast is included but allow yourself a hour for breakfast , there is only 2 staff serving 50-100 guest per day and you have to wait for your breakfast at leat half a hour
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

8/10 Good

Patricia

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Comfy room but no yukata

Pros: 1. Location is super good as it’s close to the ski lift. 2. Bed is very comfy and room is big. 3. Breakfast is good! 4. Staff are in generally nice. Cons: 1. The front desk lady talks too fast! 2. No Yukata (bath robe) provided in the room even thou they have onsen (hot spring), that makes it hard to go to onsen. And the opening hour of the onsen is very limited, only form 4-9pm. 3. Room is kind of too hot and no control to adjust the air con or heat. 4. No socket in the washroom so that u can’t use your hair dryer in the washroom but have to come out to use it. 5. No tall mirror for clothes matching purpose.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kiang Hon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Fantastic stay!

The stay was amazing! Lisa and her team at Xplore were always ready to help. They were a pleasure to interact with. The room was huge, clean, and comfortable. Wifi signal was strong in the room. There was a made-to-order breakfast free every morning, with a choice between a smoked salmon or mushroom plate with eggs (your choice of cooking style). There was also a free laundry machine in the basement (dryer costs 100 yen per use). Large drying room was available for the ski equipment 1 floor down. Unfortunately the snow was too high to ski out of the back door, but it was a short 5-10 min walk to the slope, so it wasn't too much of an inconvenience. Would definitely stay here again if we return to Madarao Kogen!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

8/10 Good

Todd

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great staff, fantastic location about as close to the run as you can get in private accommodation. Closer to a hostel in my definition but that is the Japanese way. Good food with lots of options close by. Shuttle bus to town and near by resorts made the whole trip very smooth. Definately recommended.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Super close to the ski lift ticket office, standard Japanese room with a sink is good but there is only 1 female and 1 male toilet on the floor, would be too busy if full house as about 10 rooms are sharing . Big drying room on the basement, free breakfast and shuttle to/from Ilyama station. Big TV in room with only youtube anf Neflix. A kettle and a heater in room. Separated Public bath (onsen) for men and women, strange that 7-9pm is the "communal" time on men's side (i.e. female can get in the men's bath during the period that means all have to be in swim suits). Better to have a bin inside the room, for the public bath area, it would be great if put a tissue box there and a clock ((guess it has no battery), also replacing the old hairdryer which is too weak. Staff are all very friendly and the common area has a great mountain view.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kwok-yan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

超高性價比的西式酒店！

這家酒店是由一班澳洲人向本地人購買了舊式日本滑雪酒店再翻新而成的。保留了舊式日式酒店的硬件，例如客房、洗衣房、浴場等，以西式營運方法管理。服務員態度親切，亦樂意提供一切協助。早餐是西式的，出餐時間稍長，如果想每天趕頭班吊車上山的話，就要早點去吃早餐了。 這裡洗衣是免費的，前台會提供免費洗衣球。乾衣則是100日圓15分鐘，全自助形式。 客房的電視除了基本本地電視台外，還有Netflix看！超贊！客房不提供每日清潔及執房服務，垃圾要自行清理放出走廊外。 最後一提，如客人連續住四晚或以上，可免費參加酒店提供的滑雪課程，由專業外藉教練執教！ 酒店位置亦接近滑雪場，只是酒店推介的那家雪具租用店Miyuki的雪具質素一般，不建議在那裡租用，反而Miyuki側邊的那家雪具店可試試。
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

GSteeds

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location, great facilities and free yoga! Good breakfast and helpful staff. Oh and nice traditional style rooms but with the comfiest beds in japan. Will be back!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The employees are uber helpful. The rooms are slean, quiet, and spacious
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

6/10 Okay

CHIEN PING

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
幾乎全部都是澳洲人，從早餐、大眾池時間的安排上都是給西方人設計的。 例如早餐是單點的一份吐司、燻鮭魚/培根、其他配菜、蛋，不是日式，沒有自助吧。而且一份一份做，所以要等待一段時間 大眾池只有到晚上七點前，7-9點是男女混浴，要穿泳褲。
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2020