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Northern Casino Resorts

Gatineau, Québec · entry 18+

Hilton Lac-Leamy & Casino du Lac-Leamy: our review

Last revised · facts verified

Picture a five-star Hilton plugged straight into a Loto-Québec casino, set between two lakes and about a ten-minute drive from downtown Ottawa. Year-round heated pools inside and out, Amerispa's 17 treatment rooms, a theatre for 1,100 and 1,400-plus slots make this the country's best mix of pampering and play.

  • Rooms & views9.0
  • Casino floor7.5
  • Dining8.5
  • Shows & events8.0
  • Pool, spa & fitness10.0
  • Getting there9.0

Go if: Spa-first weekends with the casino as dessert, or an Ottawa sightseeing trip based just over the river.
Think twice if: Under-18s in your group are hoping for the casino, the theatre or the bars; all three are 18+.

A complete resort since 2001

The casino opened on its own in 1996, and the Hilton, the theatre and a conference centre followed in 2001 to create the Hôtel-Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau. Québec's CITQ has rated it five stars since 2001, and CAA/AAA has given it Four Diamonds since 2002. Hilton runs the rooms; Loto-Québec runs the gaming.

Sleeping

Ask Tourisme Outaouais and you'll hear 349 rooms; Bonjour Québec splits the total into 312 rooms and 37 suites. Choose a Classic for two queen beds, or a Deluxe for a king with a dressing table by the entrance. The uppermost three floors form an executive level reached by a private elevator. Suite options are Junior, Murphy and One-bedroom. Standard in every room: a safe, a mini fridge, a 47-inch television, robes and slippers, and Crabtree & Evelyn products. The hotel describes outlooks over two lakes, Lac Leamy and Lac de la Carrière.

Rooms open at 4 pm and checkout is 11 am. Room service takes orders every day between 6:30 am and 10:30 pm.

Water and wellness

No other property on our list comes near Lac-Leamy here. Its pools and hot tubs, both indoors and outdoors, are heated and open in every season. Amerispa runs 17 treatment rooms. A two-hour Serenity package is listed at $252 from Monday through Thursday and at $308 from Friday through Sunday, and spa access covers the sauna, steam bath, whirlpools and pools. The fitness centre costs nothing and is open 24/7.

Gaming

On the floor: 1,400-plus slots, 48 tables, electronic terminals, a poker lounge and Mise-o-jeu sports betting. Weekday hours, Monday through Thursday, run 9 am to 5 am; from Friday until Sunday the casino doesn't close at all. You must be 18 in Québec, and guests who seem younger than 25 can be asked for government photo ID.

Evenings out

The Théâtre du Casino takes 1,100 in rows or 770 at cabaret tables, and admits 18+ only, special events aside. At Bar 7 there are bands and DJs every Friday and Saturday starting at 7 pm, and Thursday is Latin night. Bacchus is for slow scotch beside the fireplace, with a cigar room attached. Aléa, the nightclub, keeps 11 pm to 3 am hours and enforces a dress code.

Dining

The signature room is Arôme, a seafood-and-grill restaurant looking over Lac de la Carrière, known for its three-course Experience menu and its Sunday brunch. For a cheaper meal, Banco Bistro covers rotisserie, steak and pizza, and L'Instant serves pasta, Montréal smoked meat and a smoked-meat poutine. The pool's snack bar, TGV, won't reopen until next summer.

Getting around

Allow about ten minutes by car to central Ottawa. From the hotel it's 7.3 km to the Rideau Canal skateway, 6.4 km to Parliament and 4.1 km to the ByWard Market. The airport is roughly 25 minutes away. The STO Rapibus has a stop at Lac-Leamy station. Parking outdoors is free, while valet is paused until further notice. EV charging is available, and pets weighing up to 34 kg can stay for a $50 fee.

Our take

For a calm getaway, and for anyone sightseeing in Ottawa, this is Canada's most useful casino hotel. Spa packages cost less from Monday to Thursday, so go then, and save the casino for Friday, when it stays open around the clock.

Before you book: common questions

How far is Hilton Lac-Leamy from Ottawa?

About ten minutes' drive to downtown; it's 4.1 km to the ByWard Market and 6.4 km to Parliament.

Is the outdoor pool at Lac-Leamy open in winter?

Yes. Both the indoor and the outdoor pools are heated and, according to the hotel, open year-round.

What age do you have to be for Casino du Lac-Leamy?

18 or older, as everywhere in Québec. If you look under 25, expect to be asked for government photo ID.

Where these facts come from

Fact check: October 23, 2026, against the sources above. Hotels change rates, fees and hours without warning, so confirm anything important directly before you book. If a detail here has gone stale, email us. Next stop: Casino Hotels in Québec, or our full ranking.