Where five stars means something: the Canadian properties whose hotels, restaurants and spas would stand on their own with the casino floor removed entirely.
Almost every casino hotel in Canada describes itself as luxury, and the word has been worn smooth. We apply it to six properties, on a test that has nothing to do with marble in the lobby: would the hotel be worth booking, at the rate it charges, if the casino floor were removed from the building?
By that measure the field narrows fast. Parq Vancouver and Casino du Lac-Leamy pass most convincingly — the JW Marriott and Douglas hotels at Parq are among the best rooms in downtown Vancouver on their own merits, and the Hilton Lac-Leamy is a genuine five-star with one of the best pool complexes in the country. River Rock Casino Resort passes on service standards and its riverside setting. Fallsview Casino Resort passes on the strength of the view, which no amount of money can manufacture elsewhere. Caesars Windsor and Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto pass on room quality and condition rather than setting.
What separates this group from the rest of the list is where the money went. At a mid-market casino hotel, the gaming floor is the investment and the rooms exist to keep players on site. At these six, the hotel is a business in its own right — which is why they also have the best restaurants, the largest spas, and the private gaming salons that come with a serious hospitality operation.
The test we apply: would you book this hotel, at this rate, if the casino floor were removed from the building? Six of seventeen properties pass.
01
Niagara Falls, Ontario · Hotel score 9.1/10
The largest casino floor in Canada, sitting directly above the Horseshoe Falls. If you are going to visit one Canadian casino hotel, this is the one.
02
Richmond, British Columbia · Hotel score 9.2/10
British Columbia's largest gaming floor and its most complete resort — ten minutes from Vancouver airport on the SkyTrain.
03
Windsor, Ontario · Hotel score 8.9/10
The strongest entertainment programme of any Canadian casino hotel, wrapped around a 758-room resort on the Detroit River.
04
Vancouver, British Columbia · Hotel score 9.4/10
The most architecturally ambitious casino hotel in Canada: two hotels, a rooftop park and a compact, beautifully finished gaming floor in downtown Vancouver.
05
Gatineau, Quebec · Hotel score 9.2/10
Quebec's true casino hotel: a five-star Hilton attached to a lakeside gaming floor, five minutes from downtown Ottawa.
06
Pickering, Ontario · Hotel score 8.7/10
The newest large-scale casino resort in the country and the most convenient full-size floor for anyone based in Toronto.
Worth stating plainly, because it affects who should book them.
Two five-star hotels, a rooftop park and the best restaurant collection in Canadian casino gaming — attached to a gaming floor of roughly 600 slot machines, the smallest of any property we rate above 8.5. If the floor is your priority, this is poor value. If the trip is a Vancouver city break, it is the best casino hotel in the country.
The Hilton Lac-Leamy would be a destination hotel on its lake with no casino attached at all, and Ottawa's museums and Parliament are five minutes away. The gaming floor is good rather than exceptional. Book it if you want the trip to be about more than the casino.
The closest call of the three, because the floor is the largest in British Columbia. But the hotel, the restaurants and the eight-minute SkyTrain ride from Vancouver airport are what make it our pick for the best all-round casino hotel in Canada.
Disclaimer
This guide is published for informational purposes only. Canada Hideaways is not affiliated with any property named here, receives no payment for editorial coverage, and does not operate any casino or gambling facility. Gambling age is 18+ or 19+ depending on province. Please gamble responsibly — see our responsible gaming resources.