Four Canadian resorts, taken as buildings

Île Notre-Dame, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Montréal Casino & Hotel occupies the former French and Québec pavilions of Expo 67 on Île Notre-Dame, in the river south of the city centre. The buildings were adapted rather than replaced, so the exhibition architecture is still legible from outside. The island around them is a public park with water, paths and a rowing basin left from the same period.

The complex holds several restaurants, a cabaret room used for live programmes and terraces looking back at the city skyline. The licensed floor is outside the scope of this guide and is not described here. The site is reached by bridge, by the metro station on the neighbouring island and by a shuttle service from the centre.

It is worth asking in advance which restaurants and which of the public rooms are open on the day of a visit, as the schedule varies. Anyone travelling with family should also check the age rules for the building, which are set by the province rather than by the hotel.

• CategoryCasino Hotels
• LocationÎle Notre-Dame, Montréal, Québec, Canada
• CheckedJune 2031

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Fallsview Casino Resort is built into the slope above the Niagara gorge, on the Ontario side of the river. Much of the structure sits below the street, so the entrance and the rooms facing the falls belong to different floors of the same building. Windows on the upper floors look straight at the water, and a covered walkway links the complex to the street.

The resort holds a theatre used for concerts, a spa, a set of restaurants on more than one floor and galleries of shops along an internal street. The licensed floor is not described in this guide. Parking structures and pedestrian bridges connect the building with the district uphill from the gorge.

Check with the resort which parts of the building are open before travelling, because the theatre programme and some restaurants keep their own hours. Anyone planning to walk down to the falls should ask about the lift and walkway route, which is easier than the street in winter.

• CategoryCasino Hotels
• LocationNiagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
• CheckedJune 2031

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

River Rock Casino Resort stands beside the middle arm of the Fraser River in Richmond, near the airport that serves Vancouver. The site takes in a hotel, a marina and a stretch of waterfront path, and the transit line into the city runs past the door. The buildings are long and low rather than tall, and they face the water for most of their length.

There is a theatre used for concerts and touring shows, a spa, several restaurants and a covered walkway to the transit station. The licensed floor falls outside this guide. The riverside path outside the building is public and carries on past the marina towards the dyke trail by the airport.

Ask the resort which rooms face the river before booking, since the outlook differs sharply between one wing and another. It is also useful to confirm the theatre schedule and the hours of the restaurants, both of which follow the programme rather than the season.

• CategoryCasino Hotels
• LocationRichmond, British Columbia, Canada
• CheckedJune 2031

Rama, Ontario, Canada

Casino Rama Resort stands on the lands of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, north of Orillia in central Ontario and near the shore of Lake Couchiching. The complex is set back from the road among trees and parking, and it brings together a hotel, an entertainment building and a group of restaurants. It is reached by car or by coach from the surrounding towns.

The entertainment centre is a concert hall used by touring performers, and the resort also holds a spa, a range of restaurants and meeting rooms. The licensed floor is not covered by this guide. The hotel wing is a separate building joined to the rest of the complex by internal corridors.

Write ahead about the concert schedule, as many of the public rooms follow it rather than a fixed timetable. Anyone travelling without a car should ask which coach services run to the site, since the resort sits some distance from the nearest town centre.

• CategoryCasino Hotels
• LocationRama, Ontario, Canada
• CheckedJune 2031