| The Hacienda in Manchester was a legendary | | | | 1989 when a 16 year old girl named Claire Leighton |
| members-only nightclub that was arguably the most | | | | collapsed as a result of complications from ingesting |
| famous club of its time. Madonna's first appearance in | | | | ecstasy, and died shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, this |
| the United Kingdom was at the Hacienda in 1984, | | | | was the beginning of the end and after several rocky |
| which was the height of her fame if that's any | | | | years, the Hacienda finally closed in 1997. An |
| indication of what kind of fanciful magic this nightclub | | | | apartment building of the same name now stands on |
| possessed. First opened in 1982, the Hacienda | | | | the spot of the original Hacienda at 11-13 Whitworth |
| experienced its glory days in the 1980s, a time that | | | | Street West; developers demolished the original |
| was dubbed "Madchester" in tribute to the musical | | | | building. The interior fixtures, including pieces from the |
| awakening in Britain at this time brought on by the | | | | DJ booth, were sold at auction in November 2000 with |
| music played live at the clubs. | | | | all proceeds going to charity. |
| Owned and financed partially by the band New Order | | | | Visitors to the site of the Hacienda today will find |
| and its record label Factory Records, the early days of | | | | themselves in the city centre of Manchester, an area |
| the Hacienda were surprisingly relaxed, featuring bands | | | | that is, not the least bit surprisingly, a hot bed of clubs |
| such as Ministry of Sound, Cream, and The Smiths. | | | | and bars. Although Piccadilly Station is nearby, most |
| The late 80s saw the advent of the unique sounds of | | | | tourists walk the area of city centre, which is quite |
| acid house and a new kind of party: the rave. The | | | | small. With a wide selection of hotels, Manchester has |
| maniacal rave scene was highlighted by the use of | | | | a lot to offer the overnight guest. Local cuisine consists |
| ecstasy, laser light shows, and fast paced electronic | | | | of anything from Thai to French to Japanese to Indian. |
| music and it changed the landscape of nightclubs all | | | | Many locations match up an award winning restaurant |
| throughout England. By 1986, DJ's playing house music | | | | to one of the finest Manchester hotels, so guests can |
| had replaced live bands and the club gained world | | | | opt for a night in after a long day of seeing the sights |
| wide acclaim. | | | | of this infamous musical city. |
| The turning point in the Hacienda's notoriety came in | | | | |