Pelicans Albany Middleton Beach

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first pulled up to Pelicans Albany Middleton Beach on Golf Links Road, I wasn’t expecting much from the outside. But you know what? Sometimes the best places are the ones that surprise you, and this four-star spot absolutely delivered on that front.

The thing about Middleton Beach is that it’s actually Albany’s sweet spot – close enough to everything you need but far enough from the main tourist chaos that you can actually hear the waves at night. The hotel sits right there where you can practically roll out of bed and onto the sand, which sounds cliche but honestly makes all the difference when you’re trying to catch sunrise over the Southern Ocean. The rooms have this clean, beachy vibe without going overboard on the nautical theme (thank god, because I’ve stayed in places that looked like a ship exploded). What really got me was the attention to details – proper blackout curtains that actually work, decent water pressure in the shower, and windows that open wide enough to let in that salty air without the traffic noise from Albany Highway.

The staff here actually know the area, which is rarer than you’d think. When I asked about good walking spots beyond the obvious Middleton Beach stretch, they pointed me toward the Heritage Trail that connects down to Emu Point – turns out it’s this gorgeous walk through the dunes that most tourists completely miss. Parking’s easy enough (always a relief), and check-in was smooth even though I showed up earlier than I probably should have. I mean, the location alone makes this place worth it – you’re literally a five-minute walk from some of the best fish and chips in Albany at Dylan’s on the Wharf, and if you’re into history stuff, the National Anzac Centre is close enough that you don’t need to deal with finding parking in town. The hotel gets busy during school holidays and long weekends – Albany’s one of those places Perth families escape to – but even then it never felt crowded or chaotic. What really sealed it for me was waking up that first morning to the sound of actual pelicans (fitting, right?) hanging out on the beach, and realizing I could grab coffee from the lobby and be sitting on the sand in under two minutes. That 8.8 rating makes total sense once you’ve been there – it’s not trying to be some fancy resort, but it nails everything that actually matters when you’re exploring this part of the coast.

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