Cascade & Cards is an independent guide to British Columbia hotels with an on-site casino. Here is exactly how we choose the hotels and score them.
Every hotel in this guide has a real, licensed casino on the property — that is the entry ticket. From there, we stay where we can, walk every gaming floor, eat in the restaurants and judge each hotel against the same four measures, so the scores mean the same thing across the region.
Our ratings are an editorial opinion, not an average of user reviews, and we take no payment for a place in the ranking or a higher score. Room counts, casino sizes and other figures are approximate and change often — always confirm the current details with the hotel before you travel.
The size and quality of the gaming — the tables, the poker room, the slots and the high-limit areas — and how the floor feels to play.
The comfort, style and value of the hotel itself, and how short the trip is from the gaming floor to a good night's sleep.
The restaurants, bars, spa, theatre and other reasons to stay that turn a night at the tables into a full getaway.
Where it sits in the region, how easy it is to reach, what else is nearby, and whether the package is worth the money.
Scores are out of ten, to one decimal. A hotel scoring above nine is, in our view, a genuine destination worth planning a trip around; the low eights are still strong stays where the casino is one good reason among several. We re-score as hotels renovate, expand or change hands.