15
Ile Notre-Dame, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Montreal Casino & Hotel
A · The Place
The complex stands on Ile Notre-Dame, an artificial island in the St Lawrence River across from central Montreal. Parc Jean-Drapeau surrounds it, with the rowing basin, the gardens and the racing circuit on the same island. The city skyline is visible across the water, and the metro reaches the island in a few minutes from downtown. Outside the buildings the setting is parkland rather than street, and it is quiet after dark.
ASeasonIsland festivals fill the summer; winter walks between buildings are cold.
AGetting thereMetro to Jean-Drapeau, then a shuttle or a twenty-minute walk.
B · The Building
The main pavilion was the French pavilion of Expo 67, and the smaller one belonged to Quebec. The French building is a sculptural block with angled aluminium fins along its walls, made to be read from every side. The interiors were rebuilt for their present use, and the levels are stacked around an open centre, so you look up and down through the building rather than along a corridor.
BThe FabricAluminium fins, concrete, glass and terrazzo left from the Expo 67 pavilions.
C · The Night
Guest rooms are in the hotel building beside the pavilions, and the quieter ones look towards the park and the river rather than the approach road. Restaurants run from a counter to a dining room with a tasting menu, and a hall inside the complex is used for concerts and cabaret through the year. The walk back across open ground between the buildings is worth knowing about in January, when the wind comes off the river and the island has no shelter to offer.
CAsk at check-inAsk for a room facing the park rather than the access road.
Last read: June 2026
16
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Fallsview Casino Resort
A · The Place
Fallsview stands on the escarpment above the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls, Ontario, on the Canadian side of the river. The falls are directly below the ridge, and on some days the mist reaches the buildings. Clifton Hill and its arcades are a short walk north, and the older streets of the town lie behind the ridge. Toronto is roughly ninety minutes away by road, and Buffalo is closer.
ASeasonMist rises highest in summer; winter turns the gorge to ice.
AGetting thereNinety minutes from Toronto by road; the rail station is nearby.
B · The Building
The resort opened in 2004 and was built into the slope, so the entrance level and the lowest floors sit at different heights on different sides of the building. A glass gallery follows the front and faces the water. Stone and copper-toned cladding cover the outside. An indoor promenade links the hotel, the theatre and the restaurants without going outdoors, which matters for a good part of the year here.
BThe FabricStone cladding, copper-toned panels and a long glass gallery over the gorge.
C · The Night
Rooms are in a tower above the promenade, and higher floors on the north-west side look out over both falls. A theatre inside the building takes touring names through the season. There is a spa on an upper floor, a large indoor pool, and several restaurants with tables set along the glass. The path at the water's edge below the ridge is reached by an incline railway rather than by stairs, which is a help on the way back up.
CAsk at check-inAsk which floors and which side face the falls directly.
Last read: June 2026
17
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
River Rock Casino Resort
A · The Place
River Rock is in Richmond, British Columbia, on the south arm of the Fraser River, between Vancouver and the airport. The waterfront here is working river rather than open sea, with boats, sheds and a marina along the bank. Downtown Vancouver is about twenty minutes north by train, and the airport is closer still. Richmond's night markets and its Chinese restaurants are the reason many guests choose this district.
ASeasonSummer evenings are long here; autumn and winter bring steady rain.
AGetting thereCanada Line train from the airport or downtown, then a short walk.
B · The Building
The resort is a low, broad complex facing the water, with the hotel tower set back from the river edge. It has its own marina, so guests can arrive by boat, and a floatplane dock operates nearby. Inside, a wide corridor runs the length of the building and links the hotel, the show theatre, the restaurants and the spa. Stone, timber and glass carry the interiors, and the river is visible from most public rooms.
BThe FabricStone, timber and glass along the river front, with a working marina.
C · The Night
Rooms are divided between the main tower and a quieter wing, and river-facing rooms look across to the far bank, with mountains behind it on clear days. The show theatre holds a full touring production and is in use most weekends. Spa and pool are on a lower floor. A flight path runs nearby, so the side your room faces changes what you hear early in the morning.
CAsk at check-inAsk for a river-facing room away from the flight path side.
Last read: May 2026
