Marquee & Marble is an independent guide to Canada's hotels with a real casino under the same roof. 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 a score means the same thing across the guide.
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.
How good the gaming really is and how brightly it's run — the table spread, the high-limit salon, the poker, the slots — and whether it feels welcoming to walk into rather than merely large.
Whether the hotel stands as a destination on its own: the light in the rooms, the quality of the beds and suites, the views worth waking to and the service that makes you want to come back.
The restaurants worth a reservation, the bars, the spa, the pool, the show — everything that turns an evening of cards into a full, well-rounded stay.
Where it sits, how easily you get there, and whether the trip reads as fair value once the chips are cashed and the bill is on the marble.
Scores run to one decimal out of ten. Above nine, in our view, is 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.