Business palaces: Parisian business centres

When it comes to business centres, luxury is no longer a London privilege. The proof is at 36, rue Beaujon and 29, rue de Bassano, a stone's throw from Place de l'Étoile, where Argyll - a subsidiary of Executive Offices Group founded in 2004 - opened its first two Parisian units in 2007-2008. This was the first time the group had left its home base, where it already manages a dozen business centres in the most upmarket areas of the British capital (Belgravia, City, St James's, Mayfair).

When it crossed the Channel, the Argyll concept had to remain intact: to provide a very high quality service in prestigious renovated buildings. Which, apparently, is no mean feat, in Paris as elsewhere: "We visited nearly 150 locations in Paris, but in the vast majority of cases, the charm of the original building had been completely lost. 36, rue Beaujon and 29, rue de Bassano were the only two options where it was possible to retain the living spirit of a restored building," says Christelle Dervahanian, Argyll's Sales Director in France. A selective approach that allows these two addresses to stand out from the ordinary 'business centre', where neon lights usually illuminate the plasterboard.

Prestige and service

Mouldings, gilding, wood panelling, marble, colonnades... Here, business is conducted in a hushed décor that, from the grand English chic of rue Beaujon to the grand Parisian chic of rue de Bassano, is reminiscent of the luxury hotel industry. And the analogy doesn't stop at decorum: "A large proportion of our staff come from the hotel industry and we offer a range of services that bring us very close to that sector", Christelle Dervahanian points out.

These services are revealed on a tour of the premises, with shower rooms featuring Bulgari toiletries, kitchens equipped with real coffee machines and a selection of tasty snacks, Club Lounges at both addresses, and a concierge service which, from clothes alterations to booking tickets for shows, allows Argyll guests to rid themselves of everyday worries.

Fifteen companies have already set up shop on rue Beaujon and four on rue de Bassano, working mainly in the fields of finance, management consultancy, fund management and fine jewellery," says Christelle Dervahanian. We won't know much more than that, as discretion is a cardinal value in Argyll's commercial proposition: on the façade and inside the group's two Paris buildings, it's impossible to find the slightest reference to the tenant companies. "To live happily, let's live hidden": in the neighbourhood, between the 16th and 8th arrondissements, the motto is easily respected...