Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Montreal Casino & Hotel
On Île Notre-Dame, across the water from downtown Montreal, stands one of the more unusual buildings on this list. The complex grew out of the French and Quebec pavilions built for Expo 67, and their angular, glass-heavy architecture still defines it.
Inside, several restaurants and bars, a cabaret-style entertainment room and the gaming floor share the structure. The island setting adds parkland and river views, and the city skyline sits right across the St. Lawrence.
Visitors pairing a stay with Montreal itself will find the Old Port and downtown a short trip away by metro or car.
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Fallsview Casino Resort
Height is the selling point. Fallsview Casino Resort rises above the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, and its hotel tower was placed to look straight down at the Horseshoe Falls and the gorge beyond.
The hotel covers the usual resort ground well: a spa, an indoor pool, a range of restaurants and a large theatre that books touring concerts and comedy. The gaming floor is large and sits within the complex, but many guests spend more time at the window than at a table.
Clifton Hill, the Niagara Parkway and the boat tours to the falls are all close. Evenings bring the illuminations, which rooms facing the water see best.
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
River Rock Casino Resort
Set on the Fraser River in Richmond, just south of Vancouver, River Rock is a practical hotel with a resort's range. The airport is close, and the Canada Line puts downtown Vancouver within easy reach by train.
Guests choose between standard rooms and larger suites across the hotel towers. A show theatre, a marina on the river, a pool and a spread of restaurants round out the property. The gaming floor is one part of a larger building that also serves travellers who never set foot on it.
Richmond's food scene is a real draw of its own, particularly for Asian cooking. That, plus the river setting, makes the hotel more than a stopover.
Rama First Nation, Ontario, Canada
Casino Rama Resort
Lakes and forest surround this one. Casino Rama Resort stands on Rama First Nation land near Orillia, in Ontario's lake country north of Toronto, and it reads as a getaway rather than a city hotel.
The hotel tower offers rooms and suites above a complex that includes a spa, a large entertainment centre for concerts and several restaurants. Gaming is on site and substantial, yet the setting between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching shapes much of the stay.
In summer the area fills with cottage traffic and boats. In winter it turns quiet, and the resort becomes a warm base in cold country.
