Family Day at Casino Rama Resort

by Craig Silva

in Canada, North America, Ontario's Lake Country, Travel

18 Feb 2014

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I took my family to Casino Rama… and didn’t go in the Casino. That’s right… we didn’t enter the casino. A lot of people don’t realize that casino resorts are more than just a place to gamble. They have great hotel facilities, amazing restaurants, and usually some great shops. Well this is exactly what you will find at Casino Rama.

Casinos are not just for gambling

I had been to Casino Rama once before. It was on an influencer program back in November 2012. We were given a tour of the resort, treated to a spa session, and ate at 2 of it’s 10 restaurants. There is so much to do there for the non-gamer.

When deciding where to go, we had several options. We had friends invite us up to Ontario Pioneer Camp, and we had a gift certificate for the Ramada Hotel (formerly Stage West Dinner Theatre) in Mississauga. As we just wanted to relax, and do so away from the busy city, we looked elsewhere. I figured north would be good, as we would be going up on a Sunday afternoon, and heading back mid day on the Monday, so traffic shouldn’t be that bad.

Is Casino Rama kid friendly?

Our biggest concern when going away is our girls. We want to make sure there is something for them to do. In this case, all we wanted to do was eat, sleep, relax, and jump in a warm pool. Casino Rama can accommodate all of this.

The Casino floor is only open to ages 19 and over. The unfortunate part is, a few of the restaurants are off of the casino floor, so they are also 19 and over.

This limits families with younger children. But, one look at the menus of the restaurants we were able to go to, we were sold.

Off to Rama!

We arrived around 2:30pm on Sunday afternoon. After unloading our bags from the truck, we checked in at the front desk. Rachel and Lauren asked if we could go swimming.

The Pool

The pool is located on the 3rd floor, in the Balance in Life Spa. It is a salt-water pool, with many comfortable chairs and loungers for you to relax in.

Adult swim hours are from 7am-8am, and 9pm-10pm. Families with young children can enjoy the pool from 8am-9pm daily.

There is also a hot tub, steam room, and sauna that you can enjoy while at the pool.

Towels are available in Balance In Life Spa, so no need to bring your own or use the ones in your hotel room.

Balance In Life Spa

The Spa offers an array of services. In my last visit, I enjoyed a custom massage treatment, with concentration on my shoulders, upper and lower back. I was so relaxed, I’m pretty sure I fell asleep. This time around, we had not planned on visiting the spa.

If you do decide to come to Casino Rama, check out what the spa has to offer. Services offered include: massage therapy (hot stone, body polish, tailored to you); face treatments (signature treatment, and tailored to you); body therapies (invigorating body polish, paraffin heat treatment); nail treatments (petite and ultimate manicures, petite and ultimate pedicures, hybrid treatments, French treatment); spa sampler (mini massage, petite facial, eye and lip revitalizer, quick fix nails); lash and brow tinting; waxing (leg, arms, bikini, underarms, lip, chin, eye brow, back, chest); and custom spa packages (extravagance – 245min; indulgence – 150min; balance – 160min; essence – 105min).

The Rooms

Wendy was not feeling well all day Sunday, and got progressively worse as the day went on. Rachel was not feeling well either.

So we took advantage of the welcoming beds, comfy couch, and large flatscreen TV for the afternoon. The rooms are quite nice.

Dinner at Cedar Restaurant

Cedar is a casual dining restaurant, located just outside the entrance to the casino. The food is moderately priced, and there is something for everyone.

I had the Prime Rib dinner, with smashed potatoes and seasoned vegetables… it was really good!

As Wendy wasn’t feeling too well, she ordered the French Onion Soup. She enjoyed it.

Rachel ordered Chicken Tenders and Fries. Same as you will find at most restaurants.

Lauren had the Kids Past. We were kind of surprised by this dish. It didn’t look too appealing, and Lauren did not get through more a quarter of the dish before saying she was full. This is usually a sign that she doesn’t like what she is eating. When we asked her if she wanted to pack it up and take it home, she said no.

Be sure to make reservations for this restaurant. It fills up quickly.

Breakfast at Weir’s Restaurant

Breakfast was good. Wendy, Rachel and I had omelettes with toast and potato cakes, and Lauren had scrambled eggs with bacon, toast and potato cakes.

The food is what you would expect at a breakfast restaurant. No over-the-top or stand out dishes.

Restaurants

There are a total of 10 dining spots at Casino Rama.

Cedar – $$

Casual Dining: entrée sized salads, appetizers, roasted chicken, beef short ribs, salmon, etc.
Location: Rotunda.
Hours: Open daily 3pm to 2am.
Family friendly.

Cedar Express – $
Quick Eats: sandwiches, hotdogs, snacks on the go, etc.
Location: Rotunda.
Hours: Open daily 7am to 1am.
Family friendly.

Couchiching Court – $$

All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: meats, salads, pastas, sides and veggies.
Location: Off the gaming area.
Hours: Open Sunday 8am to 9pm; Monday to Thursday 10:30am to 9pm; Friday 10:30am to 9pm; Saturday 8am to 10pm.
Guests must be 19 years of age or older to dine in this restaurant.

Dream Catcher – $$

Sports Bar: beverages only. Light food options available only on concert nights. A great place to watch NHL, NFL, CFL, NBA, MLB, and UFC.
Location: Off the gaming area.
Hours: Open daily 11:30am to 2am.
Guests must be 19 years of age or older.

Firestarter Lounge – $$
Cocktail Lounge: nachos, Caesar salad, chicken wings, fish and chips, shrimp cocktail. Cozy fireplace, comfy leather couches. A great place to relax and enjoy a beverage with friends and/or family. On certain dates, a dinner buffet is available. During that time, regular menu is not offered.
Location: Off the hotel lobby.
Hours: Open Sunday 12pm to 11pm; Monday to Thursday 4pm to 11pm; Friday and Saturday 11am to 2am.
Family friendly.

Noodle Bar – $
All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: meats, salads, pastas, sides and veggies.
Location: Off the gaming area.
Hours: Open Sunday to Thursday 1pm to 7am; Friday 11am to 10am; Saturday 1pm to 10am.
Guests must be 19 years of age or older to dine in this restaurant.

Simcoe Yard House – $$
Casual Dining and Sports Bar: pizza, sandwiches, burgers, tacos, perogies, chicken wings, fish and chips, steaks, bangers and mash, poutine, and crispy pork bellies.
Location: Off the gaming area.
Hours: Open daily 11:30am to 2am.
Guests must be 19 years of age or older to dine in this restaurant.

St. Germain’s – $$$

Steakhouse: AAA Alberta beef, rib-eye, tenderloin, striploin, porterhouse, prime rib, rack of lamb, veal chop, beef short ribs, chicken, lobster, sea bass, salmon, oysters, scallops, king crab legs, garlic prawns, and signature pamesan chips.
Location: Between hotel lobby and rotunda.
Hours: Open daily 5:30pm to 11pm.
Family friendly.

The Weirs Restaurant – $$
Casual Dining: jackpot skillet, fish and chips, pancakes, bacon and eggs, French toast, steak and eggs, congee, eggs benedict, chicken wings, Caesar salad, quesadilla, sandwiches, pastas, meat loaf, baked salmon, roast chicken, pork back ribs, AAA strip loin.
Location: Off the hotel lobby.
Hours: Open daily 2am to 3pm.
Family friendly.

The Willow – $$$
International and Buffet: Fresh seafood, BBQ, 15 different soups, 75 traditional Cantonese dishes. Authentic Chinese cuisine. Order from the menu, or sample a bit of everything at the buffet.
Location: Off the gaming area.
Hours: Open Sunday to Thursday 11am to 12am; Friday 5pm to 2am; Saturday 11am to 2am.
Guests must be 19 years of age or older to dine in this restaurant.

Entertainment

When I visited back in 2012, we were treated to a Roger Hodgson (former vocalist and songwriter from Supertramp) concert.

Casino Rama has a 5000 seat entertainment venue. A lot of big names play at this venue. Stars like KISS, Alice Cooper, Alan Jackson, Ringo Starr, New Kids On The Block, and Ricky Martin have all played at Casino Rama. It is a short drive north of Toronto, and a much more intimate setting that that of the ACC or Rogers Centre. Worth the drive to see some great acts.

Visit the Casino Rama website for ticket info and a complete list of upcoming acts.

Shops

There are a few shops where you can buy sundries, lotto tickets, souvenirs, Reebok NHL tees and jerseys, clothing, jewellery, moccasins, authentic native crafts and giftware.

Pros and Cons of a night at Casino Rama

Dining: If you are with younger children, half of the restaurants are not accessible to you. I would have loved to try The Willow or Couchiching Court.
Activities: There isn’t much to do at Casino Rama if you have younger children. There is lots to do in the Rama, Orillia and Barrie areas. To attract families with younger children to come to Casino Rama, and be entertained their entire stay without having to leave, they should consider putting in a waterslide / waterpark, and maybe an arcade gaming area (similar to Playdum). Also, gaming units (Playstation, XBox, Wii) in the rooms would be cool as well. Most people view Casino Rama as a getaway destination. Any one of these options (or all) would make it more attractive to families.

Thanks Casino Rama!

We spent a relaxing night in comfy beds, in a nice room, ate well, and went for 2 swims. We were happy. Would we do it again? You bet!

Have you ever considered taking your family to a casino for a getaway? Let me know in the comments below.

Cheers,
Big Daddy

Craig Silva

Craig is a husband, father, team leader, travel and food writer, senior youth group coordinator, designer, brander, community builder, volunteer, and social media strategist. He likes to travel, go camping, go on road trips, watch movies, build stuff, operate the grill, and sing with his band. Craig is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada. If you are a PR agency or brand and would like Craig to review a travel destination, vehicle, restaurant, product or service, please send him an email.

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