Casino Hotels

The buildings on Île Notre-Dame began as national pavilions for Expo 67, and that origin still governs the shape of the complex — stacked levels, sharp angles, and long windows facing the St Lawrence.

Hotel accommodation, several restaurants and a cabaret-style performance hall sit alongside the gaming floor, and events in the hall draw audiences who use the property purely as a venue.

Parc Jean-Drapeau surrounds the site, which gives the complex something few urban casino hotels have: open parkland and river paths directly outside, with central Montreal a short bridge crossing away.

Position is the whole argument at Fallsview. The resort stands on the escarpment above the Horseshoe Falls, and its upper floors and restaurants are oriented squarely at that view.

Guest rooms occupy a tower above a podium that holds a theatre, a spa, a shopping arcade and a range of dining rooms. The theatre programmes touring concerts and comedy through the year.

A gaming floor forms one part of the resort. Walkways connect the building to the falls promenade, so guests reach the viewing points without crossing traffic.

River Rock sits on the Fraser River in Richmond, with its own marina, a theatre, and a hotel wing that makes it a practical base for travellers passing through Vancouver's airport — the terminal is minutes away by SkyTrain or shuttle.

The show theatre is the property's most visible public room, with a programme that runs from touring music to comedy. Restaurants span casual counters to full dining rooms.

Gaming is present on site and is one facility among many. The riverfront setting, with boats moored alongside, does more to define the place than anything else.

Set on Chippewas of Rama First Nation land near Orillia, this resort reads as a destination hotel in cottage country rather than an urban property. Lake Couchiching is close by, and the surrounding region fills with visitors through the summer.

The Entertainment Centre is the best-known part of the complex, a large-capacity hall that has hosted touring artists for decades. Hotel rooms, a spa and a spread of restaurants complete the resort.

A gaming floor operates within the building as one of its facilities, and the property is owned and operated in partnership with the First Nation on whose land it stands.