Xplore by Active Life

Nothing very new to tell since all the previous reviews say it all. The price is too high for the service. The best aspect of this hotel is its closeness to the slopes. The rooms are so-so, the lack of hooks is astounding for ski-oriented accommodation, the beds aren't particularly comfy, the breakfast isn't super good nor well supplied, there's hardly any WiFi reception anywhere, the common spaces are chilly, and let's not talk about the onsen. The staff do try hard to make a difference, but meaning well doesn't always cut it. I'm still a bit disappointed by being offered no meaningful commercial gesture after agreeing graciously to switch rooms at the manager's request; in retrospect, as I'm writing this review, a ¥700 bottle of wine I didn't ask for made me feel a bit cheap. I ended up offering it to the staff during check-out. We decided to ignore all the previous comments because we organized our trip late and are usually easy to please. But quite frankly, I don't understand why some issues haven't been fixed yet, even simple ones such as adding WiFi repeaters and adding hooks in the rooms.

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.

Our group of 8 had booked Hakken by Active Life but were transferred to Xplore. We had heard and read some negative reviews, but we found the staff to be very friendly and extremely helpful. The rooms were spacious and clean with comfortable beds and wonderful plush towels. The hotel was perfectly heated, and we never had a problem with hot water. Breakfast was simple but adequate. The location and views are fantastic and a short walk to the ski lifts. The negatives: Photos are misleading, not as new as depicted therefore a little pricey for what was advertised. Not all rooms have a functional wardrobe. Rooms need some hanging hooks and a PowerPoint in or at least just outside the bathroom. The t.v. and room safe didn't work. Hotel lift was not operational, but staff were great in helping with our luggage. Overall, we enjoyed our stay and were there for the snow activities. A few tweaks and additions and this hotel can go from being a good hotel to a great one.