It's an interesting barometer of just how far Manchester has advanced in tourism and business since I started the GMC Conference Office in July 1978.
I had just 5 city centre hotels to offer:
The Midland - in the minds of most the "premier" hotel but rather basking in faded glory.
The Piccadilly - very 1960s but trading on 5 stars at the time.
The Grand - tatty and out of date.
The Portland - very modern but, due to being a poorly converted warehouse, offering some very small and oddly laid out rooms.
The Mitre - at the Cathedral Gates, just 23 bedrooms in what was little more than a pub.