Casino Hotels

The building is the reason to go. The casino occupies pavilions built for Expo 67 on Île Notre-Dame, in the St. Lawrence River, inside Parc Jean-Drapeau. Its upper floors hold restaurants and bars, several with views back to the skyline.

Plan the night carefully. There are no guest rooms on the island itself, so overnight visitors stay at hotels in the city, a short ride across the river. Treat this entry as the evening, and downtown as the bed.

The gaming floor fills much of the interior. Around it are parkland, the Biosphère on Île Sainte-Hélène and the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

Ask for a high floor. The hotel tower looks over the Horseshoe Falls, and a room facing the water is what most guests are paying for.

Below the rooms is a full resort: a spa, an indoor pool, several restaurants and a theatre that hosts touring performers. The gaming floor is part of the complex but separate from the guest floors.

Outside, Queen Victoria Park and the falls promenade are walkable. Summer is busy. Winter is quieter and comes with plenty of spray.

River Rock sits on the Fraser River in Richmond, just south of Vancouver. The airport is minutes away, and a Canada Line station next door runs straight into the city.

That makes it an easy first or last night. The hotel has suites, a pool, a spa and restaurants, plus a show theatre for concerts. The gaming floor is one part of a large building.

Richmond is worth a meal or two. Its Asian restaurants are among the best in the region.

Casino Rama is on Rama First Nation land beside Lake Couchiching, about an hour and a half north of Toronto. The setting is lake country, not a city strip.

A hotel tower sits next to the gaming floor, and an entertainment centre brings in touring acts. Restaurants and a spa round out the stay.

Orillia is a short drive away, with its waterfront and summer events. In winter the lake freezes and the area turns to snow sports.