Casino Hotels

The complex occupies the former French and Quebec pavilions from Expo 67, on an island in the St Lawrence a short drive from downtown Montreal. That inheritance gives it a silhouette no purpose-built property would have: angular, glassy, sitting in parkland rather than on a strip, with the river on one side and the Jean-Drapeau gardens on the other.

Dining is the strongest part of the offer. The complex has invested repeatedly in its restaurants and runs several at different registers, from quick service to a tasting menu, and it draws Montrealers who have no interest in the gaming floor at all. The theatre space keeps a steady programme of concerts and cabaret through the year.

Guests should know that accommodation here sits alongside the entertainment complex rather than stacked above it in a single tower, and that the island setting means you will be driving, taking the métro to Jean-Drapeau, or arranging a car for anything in the city centre. In summer, the surrounding park is the reason to stay rather than the building.

Built into the escarpment above the Horseshoe Falls, Fallsview earns its name — a substantial share of the rooms look directly at the waterfall, and the hotel's public spaces are arranged to keep that view available rather than hoarding it for one restaurant. On a clear evening the nightly illumination of the falls is visible from the upper floors without leaving the building.

It is a full resort in the North American sense: a large spa, a serious ballroom and convention floor, a shopping galleria, and a theatre that books touring names through the year. Families use it heavily in summer, which changes the tone of the place considerably between seasons.

The hotel connects by covered walkway to the tourist district above the falls, so a stay does not require a car once you have arrived. Rooms are large and comfortable rather than design-led; the reason to book is the position, which nothing else in the city matches.

River Rock sits on the Fraser River in Richmond, minutes from Vancouver International Airport and directly on the Canada Line into downtown Vancouver — a position that makes it one of the more practical large hotels in the region regardless of what else is on site. There is a marina attached, and a good deal of the property faces the water.

The accommodation splits between a hotel tower and a quieter all-suite building, the latter aimed at longer stays and families. Rooms are generous, and the resort runs a spa, a pool and a show theatre that is one of the better mid-sized music venues in the Lower Mainland.

Richmond's food scene is the unadvertised argument for staying here: some of the best Chinese cooking in North America is within a short drive, and the hotel's own restaurants are reasonable rather than remarkable by comparison. Airport shuttles run frequently, which is why a lot of guests choose it for a first or last night.

Casino Rama is on Chippewas of Rama First Nation land near Orillia, about an hour and a half north of Toronto, in cottage country rather than a city. The setting shapes the stay: lakes, trees, and long approaches, with the resort operating as a destination in itself rather than as a base for exploring somewhere else.

Its entertainment centre is the largest part of the draw, a full-scale arena-style venue that has hosted major touring acts for decades and still books them. Around it sit a range of restaurants, a spa, and a hotel that is comfortable and generously sized without pushing for a design statement.

The resort is owned by the First Nation and has been a significant employer and revenue source for the community since it opened, a fact it states openly. Winter and summer feel like different properties — the lake region empties out after the cottage season, and the hotel becomes noticeably quieter.