Casino Hotels

The Montreal property occupies the old French and Quebec pavilions from Expo 67, on Île Notre-Dame in the middle of the St Lawrence. The architecture is unmistakably late-sixties: angular, glassy, and still striking from the water.

As a hotel it serves a specific pattern of visit. Guests come for a concert, a Formula 1 weekend on the neighbouring circuit, or a dinner in one of the restaurants, and stay on the island rather than crossing back into the city at midnight. Rooms and services are handled by the property's hotel operation in the usual way.

The gaming floor is one part of the complex, licensed and run by the provincial operator. It spreads across several levels of the former pavilion, with the entertainment venue, the restaurants and the river terraces occupying the rest. The island setting — parkland, bike paths, the rowing basin — is what distinguishes the place from a downtown hotel.

Fallsview is built into the escarpment above Niagara Falls, and the name is accurate: the upper floors look straight at the Horseshoe. The building steps down the slope, so arrival happens partway up and the lobby sits well above the river.

It functions as a full resort. There is a large hotel tower, a spa, a theatre that books touring acts year-round, conference floors and a spread of restaurants from quick counters to a dining room positioned for the view. Falls illumination and fireworks schedules shape what guests do with their evenings more than anything indoors.

A licensed gaming floor operates on the lower levels, one amenity among the resort's several. Many guests book for the view, the show or the meeting and never spend much time there, which is a reasonable way to use the property.

River Rock sits on the Fraser River in Richmond, minutes from Vancouver International Airport and on the rapid transit line into downtown Vancouver. That location does most of the work: it is a practical base for anyone flying in late or out early, and a short ride from the city for anyone who wants both.

The resort has a hotel tower, a smaller boutique wing, a show theatre, a marina with guest berths and a set of restaurants that draw plenty of local custom from Richmond's food scene. Meeting and event space runs to a decent size.

Gaming is licensed and occupies its own part of the complex. The waterfront position is the more memorable feature — the river walk outside runs past moored boats and floatplanes, and it is genuinely pleasant in the early morning.

Casino Rama stands on the Chippewas of Rama First Nation's land near Orillia, about ninety minutes north of Toronto and close to Lake Couchiching. It is a country resort rather than an urban hotel, surrounded by the cottage-country landscape that draws people north in the first place.

The hotel has several hundred rooms, a spa, a conference wing and a spread of dining rooms. Its best-known feature is the Entertainment Centre, a five-thousand-seat venue that has hosted touring musicians and comedians for decades and fills the hotel on show nights.

The licensed gaming floor is part of the complex and is operated on First Nation land under provincial agreement. Guests who come for a concert, a conference or a weekend by the lake use the resort exactly as they would any other.