The Great Indoors: Casino Rama Resort #LetsGoMaple

We don’t get away often — and solo even less so — so what a treat it was to spend a couple of days at Casino Rama Resort earlier this month, a trip organized by SJ Consulting and sponsored by Casino Rama, Ontario’s Lake Country and other area partners. Located in Orillia, Ontario, the Resort is a five-and-a-half-hour drive from Ottawa and about one and a half hours north of Toronto. It calls itself the great indoors and for good reason: with 300 spacious and comfortable rooms (every one a suite!), eight restaurants, a 5,000-seat entertainment venue, spa and health club facilities and top-shelf casino all on site, it’s an indoor playground with something for everyone. Let’s take a look around. 

The Resort is located on Rama First Nation and pays homage to the community’s culture and heritage with stunning art throughout, like this mural just outside the elevators to our rooms.

The rooms evoke a lakeside cottage, albeit one of those luxuriously appointed ones. (Note to self: make more friends with cottages.) My room had a king-sized bed, cozy sitting area, flat screen TV, free WIFI, a spacious bathroom with separate tub and glassed-in shower and a cozy gas fireplace.

My own fireplace! Home suite home indeed.

I travelled with 15 other bloggers, and each of us was welcomed to our rooms with decadent treats like this chocolate and maple fudge, maple macarons and other little goodies.

Our exclusive backstage tour took us down the same hallways and into the green room shared by so many world-class performers over the years — think Jerry Seinfeld, the Tragically Hip, Carrie Underwood and Ringo Starr. This year’s line-up includes Diana Ross, Foreigner, Riverdance, Howie Mandel and more. (Impressive!)

photo courtesy of Casino Rama Resort

And for those who want to try their luck: a dazzling casino complete with 2,500 slots, 100 table games and a 12-table Poker Room. Six of us took a table games lesson and learned to play blackjack and roulette. I’m not much of a gambler but I did try the slots for the first time, feeding $50 into the machines for an hour or so before walking away empty-handed. (Yes you know I’m going to go another time to try to win my money back.)

St. Germain’s steakhouse served us a four-course dinner as pretty as it was delicious. Above: Diver scallop crudo with kumquat, winter radish, thai chili, shiso, pink peppercorn, citrus vodka shooter, and parmesan asiago crisp.

Crispy brussels sprouts with smoked ricotta, cipollini onion, dukkha, pancetta, pomegranate chervil and local maple syrup gastrique.

Grand Marnier infused citrus tiramisu with sugar crisp café, triple chocolate pyramid and maple crème brûlée.

My room was on the third floor with the heated salt-water pool (my kind of pool!) and Balance in Life Spa, where I was treated to a relaxing pedicure by Dayna (aka The Toe Whisperer). Like every single staff member I encountered, Dayna was warm and friendly and seemed genuinely happy to work there. Which I think says a lot about how Casino Rama treats its employees.

I can’t wait to go back and take in a show, maybe treat myself to a massage and just enjoy the warm and welcoming atmosphere. Casino Rama Resort spoiled us and it’ll pamper you too. For a staycay or a getaway you really can’t do much better.

Have you been to Casino Rama Resort? What would you do first?