Bed, Breakfast and…

Looking for a hotel that offers more than a place to rest your weary head? Whether you want to swing a golf club, play the slots or discover your own adventure, these properties have all the extras you’re seeking.

By Joanne Sasvari

Under the stars

Where nature’s wild beauty is just part of the amenities.

Hébergement aux Cinq Sens

Walk with the spirit of the forest in this place of healing. As the name promises, this eco-friendly lodging near Lac Mégantic will indulge all five senses. From its yurts and chalets tucked amid the forest, guests can enjoy wine tastings, maple products, hiking trails, firepits, an Indigenous mini-museum and Huron-Wendat Cultural experiences. — auxcinqsens.ca

Aurora Inn

In the heart of Dawson City, the Aurora Inn provides a comfortable home away from home beneath the dancing Northern Lights. Its 20 cosy guest rooms are just steps from the Yukon city’s most popular shops and historic attractions, and its popular restaurant serves up smoky ribs, savoury burgers and other wood-fired fare. — aurorainnchurchill.com

Black River Wilderness Park 

Owned and operated by the Chippewas of Ontario’s Rama First Nation, and located just 20 minutes from Casino Rama, this campground enjoys a beautiful setting on the shores of Black River. Its 180 acres of wilderness provide plenty of space for tents, RVs, cabins, yurts and tipis, as well as trails to hike, waters to paddle and Cultural experiences to discover. — blackriverwildernesspark.ca

Kluskap Ridge RV & Campground

The Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island is one of the world’s most beautiful drives, and a rich repository of Indigenous, Gaelic and Acadian Cultural experiences. Kluskap Ridge is the perfect base for exploring all it has to offer, with accommodation that ranges from tents and tipis to cabins and vacation rentals, as well as Mi’kmaq arts, crafts and stories. — kluskapridge.ca

Shakat Tun Adventures

Just a few hours from Whitehorse, on the edge of the Yukon’s Kluane National Park, this wilderness camp offers rustic log cabins and a comfortable, friendly atmosphere where guests can hike, bike, fish and participate in stories, crafts and other authentic Indigenous experiences of the Champagne and Ashihik First Nations. — shakattunadventures.com

Spirit Island Adventures

Ontario’s Manitoulin Island is the traditional home of the Anishinabek people, and there’s no better way to discover their Culture than by staying in one of their luxury tipis. They provide an unforgettable base for exploring the island’s beaches, trails, heritage and natural wonders of what the Ojibwe, Odawa and Pottawatomi called Spirit Island. — spiritislandadventures.com

Artful stays

Skip the gallery and head straight to these art-filled destinations.

Chalets de l’Anse Ste‑Hélène

The cedar chalets at this property on the Gaspésie are perfect for family vacations or romantic getaways. But for a truly unforgettable escape, climb aboard La Grande Hermine, a replica of the vessel Jacques Cartier sailed into the St. Lawrence estuary in 1535, which features two sleeping areas, kitchen, living room and breathtaking ocean views. — chaletsdelansestehelene.ca

Kwa’lilas Hotel

The Kwa’lilas Hotel in Port Hardy is a restful base for exploring the myriad outdoor activities and Cultural experiences of northern Vancouver Island. Carved from cedar and filled with Indigenous art, it is the ideal place to connect with nature and the Kwakiutl People who have called this place home for more than 12,000 years. — kwalilashotel.ca

Skwachays Lodge Hotel & Gallery

Canada’s first Indigenous arts hotel is located in the heart of Vancouver’s historic downtown, a boutique property where every guest room pays homage to the creative spirit of Indigenous Peoples. Owned and operated by the Vancouver Native Housing Society, it also houses an art gallery, rooftop sweat lodge, commercial kitchen and artist residence and studios. — skwachays.com

Places to gather

Planning a meeting, wedding or another event? So are these properties.

The Westin Calgary Airport

Not just any airport hotel, this stylish property offers elegantly contemporary accommodation (with Heavenly® Beds, of course), terrific cuisine at 671 Kitchen + Bar, a 24/7 fitness centre and pool, and some of Calgary’s biggest, best and most versatile event space. That includes the city’s largest hotel ballroom, ideal for both conferences and weddings. — westincalgaryairport.com

Red Bank Lodge

Whether you are looking for a scenic place to hold a meeting or an idyllic escape into nature, you will find it at this New Brunswick lodge. Perched on the high banks of the beautiful Miramichi River near Metepeagiag Heritage Park, it offers comfortable guest rooms, conference facilities, fishing pools, hiking trails and traditional local cuisine.
— redbanklodge.com

Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre

Plan an idyllic island escape to Lake Huron’s Manitoulin Island. With plenty of trails, beaches and more than 100 inland lakes of its own, this is a destination for adventure; the First Nations-inspired Manitoulin Hotel also makes it an elegant, contemporary and well-equipped destination for meetings, conferences, weddings and other gatherings. — manitoulinhotel.com

Casino action

Enjoy slots, bingo and live entertainment at these all-grown-up resorts.

Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino

Only 35 minutes west of Calgary, the “Basecamp of the Rockies” offers affordable comfort, premier casino gaming and family-friendly adventure in Kananaskis Country. The resort features 110 comfortable rooms, complimentary breakfast, pool, hot tub and waterslide, and Alberta’s only casino in the Rocky Mountains, with more than 250 slot machines, plus table games, hybrid gaming by Scientific Games, a poker room and off-track betting. — stoneynakodaresort.com

Casino Rama Resort

Ontario’s only First Nations resort casino, owned by the Chippewas of the Rama First Nation on the shores of Lake Simcoe, is the ultimate place to play, dine, relax or rock out to some of the biggest live acts in the world. The resort boasts a whopping 2,200 slot machines, over 60 gaming tables, several restaurants, a world-class 5,000 seat Entertainment Centre, and a 300-room all-suite, full-service hotel, featuring spa and health club facilities. — casinorama.com

Grey Rock Casino

Located in Edmundston, NB, Grey Rock Casino is a state-of‑the-art casino, bingo and dining experience, now with accommodation, thanks to the recent addition of the Quality Hotel and Conference Centre. The property’s 85 guestrooms are connected by pedway to the casino, which offers more than 200 slot machines, two electronic table games, blackjack and roulette, as well as live poker tables and a bingo hall that can seat over 400 players. — greyrockcasino.com

Grey Eagle Resort & Casino

This new four-star resort can be found on beautiful Tsuut’ina Nation land in west‑central Calgary, with the Rocky Mountains in its back yard. This is one great big, luxurious, grown-up playground, with 178 guest rooms, 87,000 square feet of gaming action, 36 gaming tables, 970 slot machines, a bingo hall and a 2,500-seat event centre that hosts first-class concerts. — greyeaglecasino.ca

Golf and other games

Sometimes, you want to do it all. These resorts have you covered.

St. Eugene Golf Resort Casino

This former Oblate mission and school in the East Kootenays is now a must-visit destination resort owned and operated by the Ktunaxa Nation. The original historic stone building is at the centre of a property that features 125 rooms and suites, the Casino of the Rockies, a championship Les Furber-designed golf course, three restaurants, and a riverside RV Park, all surrounded by the dramatic beauty of the snow-capped mountains. — steugene.ca

Quaaout Lodge & Spa at Talking Rock Golf Resort

On the serene shores of B.C.’s Little Shuswap Lake, in the heart of Secwepemc Territory, this resort offers an idyllic country getaway with plenty of Cultural experiences to discover. The lodge features 70 lakeview guest rooms and suites, a top-notch locally inspired restaurant, and the Cooke-and-Carlton-designed Talking Rock Golf Course, named one of PGA of Canada’s top 20 public courses for 2019. — quaaoutlodge.com

Dakota Dunes Resort 

This new resort hotel outside Saskatoon is the latest phase in the Whitecap First Nation’s 20-year tourism master plan to create the premier tourism resort in Saskatchewan. The award-winning Dakota Dunes Golf Links launched in 2004 and 80,000-square-foot Dakota Dunes Casino in 2007. Now the 155-room hotel has opened its doors, with sleek contemporary design that is a tribute to its Indigenous heritage. —whitecapdakota.com