Due to open in 2014 on the South Side of Birmingham New Street station, the £100 million John Lewis store is the first major department store to open in the UK since the recession began, and it will be the largest John Lewis store outside of London. Creating 650 jobs in the department store itself and up to 1000 jobs for the wider economy, the opening of the John Lewis store in Birmingham is something a lot of people are talking about

Not only will this new development provide hundreds of jobs for Birmingham, it will also add to the already outstanding shopping facilities for everyone living, working in or visiting the city. For anyone staying in the large number of serviced apartments Birmingham has to offer, the new John Lewis store will prove a very convenient shopping destination.

The new John Lewis development will only increase the attractiveness of this city for business and leisure travellers: it is already the UK’s third most popular retail destination. The Bullring, located in the centre of Birmingham, is Europe’s largest retail regeneration project, and has over 140 shops, including Selfridges, which opened its fourth store in Birmingham in the shopping centre, in addition to outlets in London, New York and Paris. The iconic Selfridges building has redefined Birmingham’s skyline and overlooking it is the striking Rotunda building - which now contains serviced apartments with views across the city.

The serviced apartments Birmingham has to offer are becoming increasing popular with business travellers. The appeal of this city isn’t simply an attraction to the numerous business and shopping facilities available. Birmingham can also boast a thriving entertainment scene: the streets are lined with bars, nightclubs and music venues, while – as the birthplace of the balti house – the city has a variety of restaurants, from cheap Indian bring-your-owns to high-end restaurants. In total there are a total of 200 restaurants in the city, representing 27 nationalities, so those who choose to eat out while staying in a serviced apartment have plenty to choose from.

Birmingham is one the UK’s most populous cities, but its importance as a cultural destination is often forgotten. The city has a wide collection of museums, art galleries and cinemas, including one of the country’s oldest cinemas, the Electric Cinema, and The Ikon, one of Europe’s leading contemporary art galleries. Because the city centre is so easy to get around by foot, the serviced apartments Birmingham has to offer are all within easy walking distance of these attractions.

Staying in serviced apartments Birmingham gives business travellers a wide variety of things to do outside of their busy working schedule, and if they have family visiting them at weekends, the choices of entertainment are endless.