Maple & Stakes is an independent guide to Ontario 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 scale and quality of the gaming — the tables, the poker room, the slots and the high-limit salons — and how the floor feels on a busy night.
The comfort and value of the hotel, and how short the walk is from the gaming floor to your bed.
The restaurants, bars, spa, theatre and shows that turn a night at the tables into a full weekend away.
Where it sits in the province, 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.