Taking Time Out From Business Travel in London

Whilst a corporate traveller on assignment is primarily here on business, the city offers plenty to see and do after hours and at weekends to entice visitors from their London serviced apartment. With summer making a welcome appearance, London is buzzing with weekend festivals, markets and outdoor events alongside the perennial theatres, art galleries, museums, excellent restaurants and world class shopping.

The popular RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Kew's Summer Festival, Brick Lane Festival and the Lovefootball Festival, got under way in May. During June, there's Trooping the Colour - the Queen's birthday parade, the More London Free Festival, the Greenwich & Docklands International Festival and the City of London Festival. July and August will see the Shoreditch Festival and the Great British Beer Festival amongst a host of others. London also hosts a number of very popular music festivals including Wireless Festival, South West Four, Hard Rock Calling, LED, Lovebox and the Hampton Court Palace Festival.

London's theatres offer another popular pastime which you'll find across the city. The more commercial West End theatre district has some of the world's most successful productions including Chicago, We Will Rock You, Billy Elliot, and Oliver. London's vibrant live music scene is incredibly popular, too, showcasing plenty of local talent on a nightly basis and drawing thousands of international artists each year. For something more traditional, London's art galleries and museums are amongst the world's finest if you are in need of a culture fix whilst staying in a London serviced apartment. Highlights include the Tate Britain and Tate Modern, The National Portrait Gallery, The British Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Imperial War Museum, along with hundreds of others.

For those who like to shop, London is famous for its numerous shopping hotspots, high-streets and ornate period shopping arcades. Many London serviced apartments are in reach of a popular shopping district or area, from the luxury department stores of Knightsbridge and Kensington, and the high street shopping strip of Oxford Street, to the eclectic second hand shops and vintage clothing stalls of Shoreditch and Camden.

Regardless of your London serviced apartment's location, there's sure to be a large, open green space that's relatively close by. Central London has Regent's Park, St James' Park, Hyde Park and Green Park. In north London you'll find Hampstead Heath, whilst south London has Clapham Common, Wandsworth Common and the greenery of Richmond. West London has the beautiful Holland Park, whilst in the east you'll find Victoria Park.

Outdoor markets serve as a great weekend pastime as well and are located throughout the city. Some of the most popular include Portobello Road Market, with its antique dealers and clothing stalls, the delicacies at Borough and Brick Lane Sunday markets, and the fresh produce of the farmer's markets in Marylebone, Clapham, Alexandra Palace and Chiswick. A London serviced apartment then provides the means to cook any food you may have bought, thanks to the fully equipped kitchen.