Across the St. Lawrence from downtown Montreal lies Île Notre-Dame. France and Québec built pavilions here for Expo 67; those two buildings, now linked, hold this complex and its sharp geometric glass.

The island setting is half the appeal. Dining rooms look across the water to the skyline, and a cabaret hall puts on shows at night. Tables and machines take a portion of the floor space. Parc Jean-Drapeau surrounds everything with bike routes, gardens, a beach and the Gilles-Villeneuve racetrack, and the metro reaches the city centre fast.

Up on the escarpment, Fallsview's tower gives its upper floors a straight-on view of the Horseshoe Falls. Ask for a high room; the difference is real.

Since opening in 2004 it has grown big enough to fill a weekend without leaving: a spa, a heated indoor pool, plenty of restaurants, and a ballroom-style theatre, the Avalon, for comedy and music. The casino keeps to its own section. Downhill wait the Niagara Parkway, boat trips into the mist and the coloured lighting of the falls after dark.

Location does much of the work. Richmond is the town, the Fraser is the river, and Vancouver's airport is minutes from the door; and the Canada Line at Bridgeport gives a quick ride into Vancouver.

A large share of the rooms are suites, useful for families and longer trips. Expect an indoor pool, moorings for boats on the Fraser and a stage for visiting comedians and bands. Gaming occupies a separate area. Plenty of visitors stay purely for convenience: the airport on one side, downtown on the other, and Richmond's celebrated Chinese restaurants all around.

Lake Simcoe lies to one side, Lake Couchiching to the other. Near Orillia, on land belonging to Rama First Nation, sits Casino Rama Resort. Drivers from Toronto should allow around ninety minutes.

Close to three hundred rooms and suites fill its hotel tower, plus a spa and a cluster of restaurants under that same roof. A dedicated entertainment centre stages big-name concerts and stand-up all year. Gaming has a floor of its own. Around the resort, central Ontario's lake country offers trails, beaches and small towns worth a detour.