I spent last week at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario. Rama is located about an hour and a half driving distance North of Toronto, just outside Orillia, Ontario. The location makes this desination a bit secluded, which can be a good thing or bad depending on your reasons for visiting. I do not gamble (although I have been known to drop a few dollars in the casino). Casino Rama is located in an area with no attractions in the immediate vicinity. Orillia is a short ten minute drive away, and has several attractions that provide distraction without necessarily being a destination type vacation. In other words, if you are looking for a place to hide out and relax for a few days, Casino Rama is a great destination, if you are looking for things to do, Toronto might be a better choice.
There is no public transportation from the Toronto Pearson Airport to Casino Rama. A cab would be prohibitively expensive, so the only reasonable way to get to Casino Rama is to rent a car. I rented from Budget at a rate of Fifty Dollars a day Canadian. Finding the hotel and casino from the airport was relatively easy. There was heavy traffic due to my arrival during the evening rush hour. For that reason, it took me nearly twenty minutes to travel down 409 to 400 North. It took another twenty minutes to clear the heavy traffic on Highway 400. After the traffic thinned a bit, the 100 KPH speed limit was actually attainable. Around Barrie, Ontario, Highway 11 broke off taking me into Orillia. In Orillia, I exited on Highway 12 and followed the signs for approximately ten minutes until I got to the hotel. I traveled approximately five roads from the time I left the airport until I pulled in to the hotel…so my concern about getting lost ended up being unfounded. However, the instructions provided on the casino rama website would have gotten me lost.
I parked in front of the hotel during check in, which was quick and painless. After checking in, I parked for free in the ample casino parking lot. Because the weather was starting to turn cold (it was in the 50s all week), it appeared that the hotel and casino might have been a bit off-season. Judging on the size of the parking lot, it might be a trickier deal during peak season. I was able to park very close to the entrance to the hotel, but the massive parking lot stretched a great distance from the hotel but was mostly empty. I returned to the large hotel entrance and soaked in my surroundings. The check in desk and concierge are located on the left, while two restaurants cover the right side. The glass elevators are visible behind a large waterfall directly ahead. A small seating area finishes the picture, located in front of the waterfall. The three elevators rise quickly, providing a brief view of the hotel exterior as it rises above the lobby area.
Checking into my hotel room, I find that it resembles many Marriott’s that I have stayed at in the past. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed that it was a Marriott right off the top. The room was divided by an imaginary line created by a couch facing toward the entertainment center. Behind the couch on the far wall is a plush bed with steel blue-gray silk pillow cases and orange and brown accents. There is a fireplace on the wall on the far side of the couch. The fireplace is operated by a switch on the wall which activates a timer which automatically shuts the fireplace off after about an hour. The large television was the old-fashioned tube type, but provided an excellent picture. The large screen was easily viewable from the bed which was a good distance from the television. The mattress was plush but firm, providing the exact level of comfort that I look for in a mattress. The room was neat and clean.
A quick survey of the room revealed that there was not a coffee pot available. I have noticed the same at the casino hotels in Las Vegas…they must not want you to spend much time in your room. The newspaper is not delivered to the room in the morning, but is available at the concierge station. There was a safe located in the closet for valuables. The bathroom runs the length of the room, making it one of the largest bathrooms I have ever had in a hotel room. The spacious bathroom has a sink followed by a large glass shower stall followed by the commode. On the opposing wall is a bathtub. The shower stall was wider than your average bathtub shower, providing plenty of space to maneuver while you are showering. The glass door did not appear to shut all the way and there was no clasping mechanism to keep it closed. The water did not appear to escape from the shower, but I thought it odd that the door didn’t shut securely. I was impressed with the impeccable condition of the glass shower enclosure. As an owner of a glass shower, I can attest to the difficulty in keeping this type of shower clean…the cleaning staff did an exceptional job.
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