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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

Choose dates to view prices

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 11 of 11 rooms

View all photos for Deluxe Room

Deluxe Room

Deluxe Room

Highlights

Heating
Smart TV
Separate bedroom
Bathrobes
Shower/tub combination
Bidet
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
  • Mountain view
  • 269 sq ft
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

View all photos for Standard Queen

Standard Queen

Standard Queen

7.0 out of 10
Good
(2 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Smart TV
Separate bedroom
Bathrobes
Bidet
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
Netflix
  • Mountain view
  • 205 sq ft
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Compact Queen

Compact Queen

Compact Queen

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)

Highlights

Heating
Smart TV
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
Netflix
Desk
Wardrobe or closet
  • Mountain view
  • 129 sq ft
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Standard Twin

Standard Twin

Standard Twin

Highlights

Heating
Smart TV
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
Netflix
Wardrobe or closet
  • 205 sq ft
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Twin Bed

View all photos for Family Connecting Room

Family Connecting Room

Family Connecting Room

Highlights

Heating
Smart TV
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
Netflix
Wardrobe or closet
  • Mountain view
  • 538 sq ft
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 8
  • 2 Queen Beds and 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Deluxe Room

Free WiFi, bed sheets

Deluxe Room

  • Sleeps 4

Standard Queen Room

  • Sleeps 2

View all photos for Standard Twin Room

Free WiFi, bed sheets

Standard Twin Room

  • Sleeps 2

Japanese Suite Double Room

  • Sleeps 4

View all photos for Family 2-bed Room

Free WiFi, bed sheets

Family 2-bed Room

  • Sleeps 8

View all photos for Compact Queen Room

Free WiFi, bed sheets

Compact Queen Room

  • Sleeps 2
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About the area

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 - 0.2 km
  • Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort showing snowboarding and snow as well as a large group of people
    Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort
    38 min drive - 22.0 km
  • Madarao Kogen Picture Book Art Museum
    6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Nozomi Lake
    4 min drive - 2.1 km
  • Tangram Ski Circus
    5 min drive - 2.3 km

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
  • レストランBanff
    2 min drive
  • トワサンク
    16 min walk
  • レストラン ジグザグ
    5 min drive
  • かっぱ寿司 新飯山店
    11 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 snowshoeing and sledding. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with a bar and a restaurant.
You'll also enjoy perks such as:
  • A vending machine, a front-desk safe, and smoke-free premises
  • Games, multilingual staff, and luggage storage
  • A TV in the lobby
  • 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

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Exterior
Hotel Madarao
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
  • Air conditioning
6.6 out of 10, 36 reviews
The price is CA $140
CA $154 total
Mar 8 - Mar 9
Hotel Madarao
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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

Property is also known as

Xplore Active Life Hotel Myoko
Xplore Active Life Hotel
Xplore Active Life Myoko
Xplore Active Life
Xplore by Active Life Hotel
Xplore by Active Life Myoko
Xplore by Active Life Hotel Myoko

Frequently asked questions

Is Xplore by Active Life pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at Xplore by Active Life?

As of Mar 7, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Xplore by Active Life on Mar 8, 2026 start from CA $142, excluding taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

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).

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Reviews

Xplore by Active Life Reviews

7.2

Good

7.4

Cleanliness

8.8

Location

8.2

Staff & service

7.4

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 15 out of 52 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 12 out of 52 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 14 out of 52 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 7 out of 52 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 52 reviews

Reviews

8/10 Good

John

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

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

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

10/10 Excellent

GSteeds, Brisbane AUS

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

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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

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

10/10 Excellent

Yutaka

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This hotel is very near from ski area, and all staffs are really kind and helpful.We were really satisfied with this hotel. This hotel is also near from Malu restaurant. This is also nice. We want to use this hotel again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very close walking distance (and ski out) to the Madarao slope. Onsen bath is wonderful. Room is comfortable.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities

A poor hotel not worth the money

Unfortunately there are a few bad things to say about this place. On hotels.com, it advertises toiletries in the room but you don’t get any. There’s some shampoo and conditioner in the onsen but nothing like what Japanese hotels usually provide in rooms. There are no staff in the hotel at all after 7pm so if you need help after that time, you may struggle. The showers were 3 floors below our room (with the onsen) - we’d expect a shared bathroom to be on the same floor as the room, at the very least. Not sure why but the elevator and area around it smells like an engine room. There seems to be a cafe in the hotel but it’s not actually manned after breakfast so no coffee or other hot drinks are available after 10. Supposedly guests are meant to take snowboards etc. to the drying room in the basement and not walk through the lobby but people were constantly bringing wet equipment and snow covered boots through the lobby and staff didn’t seem to care. The hotel is advertised as ski in/ski out but it is not. You have to leave the hotel and walk 5-10 minutes up the road to the nearest ski lift. All in all, the hotel just feels like a slightly run down hostel for mostly young Australians - it’s certainly not an upmarket hotel. Breakfast wasn’t very good but it was complimentary so it’s hard to complain about it. The lobby area is the only place to relax in the hotel (outside of your room) and it can get quite cold. The wifi is
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Marco

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

Great place for ski holiday!

Great place near ski lifts. Restaurants and bars all walking distance. Super friendly staff. Run by Australians. If you are looking for Japanese culture don’t go here. I would definitely recommend. For kids also great, lots of activities in the hotel. Small bar with good (western) food. Wifi is pretty bad! Super soft comfy beds. Bathrooms are not Japanese superclean, but acceptable. They have a shuttle bus to take you from station Nagano and back.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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

an unexpected gem

had a wonderful time here, place was clean and social, great breakfast, close to the slopes, and service by Lisa and Stuart and the rest of the staff was so friendly and attentive. i particularly appreciated that the hotel can arrange pickups to and from the train station. the onsen is also a bonus. Madarao is a true gem and these guys will make sure you have the best time.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
All staffs are nice and friendly. The room I stayed was clean so I enjoyed the stay.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

Xplore review

Great location, great staff. Lisa, Manager was so helpful. Breakfast was good. Hotel could use a bit of work, missing some things - ski rack at entry, drying room desperately needs work, no mini fridge or safe in room.
Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Don’t be fooled by website. This property feels like s poor university dorm. Extremely old & run down although rooms have been given minimal update with new beds & carpet. Included breakfast is sparse, cheap and other than an egg offers nothing nutritious. Also take note this property offers no shuttle service to get on or off bus down the mountain requiring one to drag bags through the snow up a grade which could be considerable effort if you had kids in tow. Compared to other properties on mountain this place has a long way to go to even come close to consideration for us. Stayed another night at a different property with outstanding customer service and incredible breakfast for same cost as this dismal experience.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

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

請準備充足下 ，才再營業吧！

酒店只是剛接手 ， 整體性表現極度勉強，傢私、員工也未到位 ，相信只是趕著雪季開店，有想轉酒店的衝動，可惜不能退錢，而員工也在能力下努力表現出友善 ， 所以在體諒上會接受。
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Claudia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It's a hotel renovated from an old building. They were open for just a few days so many things weren't ready. Don't expect luxury conditions from the hotel, but it has all the basics, good bed, good sheets, good bathroom, good breakfast (simple but good). It is what you pay for, it is a no-frill hotel. The hotel staff is extremely helpful and nice. The staff is almost exclusively non-Japanese speaker, which is quite unique in Japan. Pros and cons as a result. Easy to communicate to for non-Japanese speakers, but difficult if you need some local help. Hotel is very close to ski lifts, a bare 5 minute walk. Overall, we are happy with the hotel and will return.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Boiler wasn't working and no one couldn't take a bath. Our room wasn't clean enough, tatami mats were too old. I prefer other Active life hotels.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019