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Canada's casino hotels and casino sites, from the editor's desk

Richmond, by YVR (BC) · gaming 19+ · Maple review

River Rock Casino Resort: the Maple verdict

Updated · hotel facts as of

4.29 / 5A−

No. 4 of 12 in our 2026 ranking
One SkyTrain stop from the airport gates, with Ramsay's steak upstairs

The car-free answer. River Rock shares a corner with Bridgeport station, so the Canada Line reaches the airport in roughly seven minutes and the downtown core in roughly eighteen. Behind the doors: 396 keys (some enormous suites), Ramsay's first Canadian steakhouse, a slide in the pool and boats moored on the Fraser.

Book it fora layover at YVR, a weekend built around dinner, or any trip without a rental car.
Look elsewhere ifyou want an arena show — the Show Theatre tops out at 965.

How the score adds up

Room comfort30%4.25
Food & drink20%4.5
Wellness15%4.25
Gaming15%4
Entertainment10%3.75
Location10%5
Maple score4.29

The station next door

Bridgeport, on the Canada Line, is right beside the entrance — the single best reason to stay. River Rock opened on the Fraser in Richmond in 2004; Its twentieth birthday brought a round of upgrades, the headline being Gordon Ramsay Steak, the celebrity chef's first Canadian fine-dining room. Great Canadian Entertainment sold the property in June 2026 to a partnership with First Nations at its head.

Keys

396 keys in two towers. Hotel Tower: the 325 sq. ft. standards — King, Two Queen, accessible King. Over the sky bridge, the Casino Tower keeps the suites: one- or two-bedroom layouts (525–650 sq. ft.), an Executive with a sunken lounge, river-view Penthouses (1,000–1,200 sq. ft.) and, at the very top, a Presidential Suite of 2,800 sq. ft. with fireplaces and a star-lit ceiling. Every key: safe, coffee maker, mini fridge, blackout curtains. Age 19 to check in.

Kitchens

The desk's highest food mark in BC. Ramsay's steakhouse dry-ages beef for 28 days and has opened an indoor-outdoor area facing the marina. Sea Harbour: Chinese seafood, dim sum 10:00–15:00 KOI: sushi by the Kuns Omakase team, in the old Miku space since 2026. Chopsticks Noodlehouse feeds night owls until 03:00; Rock House does burgers. Buffet fans: from Friday through Sunday, 16:00 until 21:00, The Chairman's Room hosts the Grand Weekend Dinner Buffet (C$85 adult, C$80 senior, C$35 child), and the same room serves brunch on Sundays, 09:00–15:00. Privé Bar pours every day, 11:00 to 02:00.

Water and wellness

Pool with a slide, open every day 06:00–22:00. Treatments: Absolute Spa, up on level 2, with six rooms open 10:00–18:00. Plus a fitness centre and the marina.

The floor and stage

The floor is 19+ and open 24 hours, with racebook betting and poker. River Rock publishes no machine or table totals, so our tables leave those cells blank. Encore Rewards (the B.C.-wide card) applies. The 965-seat Show Theatre favours comedy and tribute nights over stadium tours.

Fees and animals

A C$19.99 daily resort fee is added per room; it covers the West Lot, five minutes from the entrance on foot. Pets cost C$35 apiece per night (three nights' worth at most), and the hotel lends a bed and bowls.

Desk verdict

Flying in or out of YVR? Stay here. Travelling for dinner? Same answer. Chasing a stadium headliner? Look east instead.

Check rates / book ↗Hotel website ↗

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Finding your way there

If you're arriving at YVR, you can leave the rental-car counter alone: the Canada Line stops at River Rock's front door.

  • If you fly into YVR. Take the Canada Line to Bridgeport. It's a quick seven-minute ride, says Destination BC. Map the transit trip ↗
  • If you're in downtown Vancouver. Ride the Canada Line south; it's about 18 minutes to Bridgeport. Map the transit trip ↗
  • If you're driving. Drive in from River Road on the west side to self-park — the resort fee already includes it. Valet costs $33 nightly, and anything too tall for the main levels goes to the East Parkade for $25 a night. Map the drive ↗

Open the Google Maps listing ↗Start from my location ↗

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Quick questions about River Rock

What's the easiest way from YVR to River Rock?

Take the Canada Line two stops' worth of time — the resort says about seven minutes — and get off at Bridgeport.

When is the River Rock buffet on?

Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 16:00 to 21:00 (it is called the Grand Weekend Dinner Buffet), with brunch on Sunday as well.

Bringing a dog to River Rock: what's the fee?

C$35 a night for each pet; after three nights the charge stops.

What we checked, and where

Facts checked against these publishers on 23 October 2026. Hotels can change prices, fees and opening hours without notice, so confirm what matters before you pay. Spotted something out of date? Tell the desk. More nearby: British Columbia · the 2026 rankings.