Parq Vancouver

Overview

Parq Vancouver is a different proposition from every other property in this guide. Built beside BC Place stadium in 2017, it stacks two hotels — a JW Marriott and the boutique Douglas — restaurants, event space and a casino into a single downtown block, with a half-hectare park suspended on the sixth floor between the towers.

The gaming floor is the smallest of any property we rate above 8.5, at roughly 70,000 square feet with 600 slot machines. The finish, though, is the best in the country: low ceilings dropped to human scale, proper lighting, custom carpet and no visual clutter. It feels like a casino designed by hotel people, which is exactly what it is.

This is the pick for a Vancouver city break where gaming is one element among several. It is not the pick if you want a big floor or a resort setting — and downtown Vancouver pricing applies to everything from the room to the parking.

The casino floor

Approximately 600 slot machines occupy the main floor and a quieter upper level. The selection is curated rather than exhaustive — current modern slot machines, a small progressive bank, and a high-limit slot area — and it is refreshed regularly. Volume players used to Ontario floors will find it thin.

Table games are the stronger half: around 75 tables covering blackjack, baccarat and mini-baccarat, roulette, craps, sic bo and pai gow, with limits running from moderate to very high. Private high-limit salons serve international high rollers with dedicated service and 24/7 VIP attention. Poker provision is limited and occasional rather than a standing room.

A sports lounge covers major fixtures, and its position across from BC Place makes it a natural pre- and post-match stop for Whitecaps and Lions crowds.

What the floor holds

Casino floor

approx. 70,000 sq ft

Slot machines

approx. 600

Table games

approx. 75

Poker room

Limited

Sportsbook

Yes — lounge

Bingo

No

Hotel rooms

517 across two hotels

High roller area

Yes — private salons

Figures are editorial estimates from publicly available information and change over time. Our casino games guide explains each game in detail.

Hotel & resort

Two distinct hotels share the complex: the 329-room JW Marriott Parq for a full-service luxury stay, and the 188-room Douglas, an Autograph Collection property with a more design-led, boutique character. Both are genuinely five-star and among the best hotel rooms in downtown Vancouver, casino or not.

The sixth-floor park is the signature amenity — an actual landscaped garden with lawns, trees and a terrace, above the traffic. Add a large spa, two fitness centres, 30,000 square feet of event space and eight food and drink outlets, and the property works entirely as a city hotel with gaming attached.

Dining

The strongest restaurant collection in Canadian casino gaming: a serious Italian room, a modern Canadian kitchen, a Chinese restaurant, a rooftop bar on the park level and several casual outlets. These are destination restaurants that Vancouver locals book on their own merits, which is rare for a casino property.

Entertainment

Parq programmes its own event and ballroom space rather than running a theatre, so the entertainment offer is more nightlife and events than touring shows. The location does the heavy lifting: BC Place is across the street, Rogers Arena is a five-minute walk, and the Yaletown bar and restaurant district is immediately north.

Practical information

Address

39 Smithe Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 0R3

Gaming age

19+ (British Columbia)

Casino hours

Open daily; extended weekend hours

Dress code

Smart casual to smart; salons and restaurants dress up

Parking

Underground valet and self-park; downtown rates apply

Getting there

Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain 5 minutes on foot; 25 minutes from YVR; walkable from most of downtown

Regulator

British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC)

Hours, dress standards and parking arrangements change seasonally. Confirm with the property before travelling.

Pros and cons

Verdict