The beach is famous for its multiple Esplanade Hotels. In 1898, the first of the Esplanades opened, only to be burnt down in 1908. The rebuilt hotel was finished in 1911 and became more popular as a road was built connecting Albany town to Middleton beach, as before the only way to get there was by boat or bush track. In the 1940s it was to be demolished and rebuilt into a bigger hotel; it was finished in 1949 and became very popular. In the 1970s the old hotel was demolished and made way for a new hotel.