Few sectors ask as much of an office as finance does.
In a single morning, your team might take a confidential call with a portfolio company, host an investor meeting and need somewhere quiet to review important documents. An office for a finance firm needs to accommodate those demands without disruption, while providing a setting that reflects the standards of your business.
If you’re weighing up serviced offices in London, the decision comes down to more than desk rates and square footage, and below is what we suggest you consider.
Why the City still holds its position
The argument for hiring an office space in the City of London is centred around its proximity. The Bank of England, the advisory firms, the brokers, the corporate law practices and the auditors you rely on are all within a short walk of one another. When a deal is live, being ten minutes from your counsel rather than forty can make a meaningful difference to how quickly things can move.
An EC2 or EC4 postcode also carries reputational weight, giving clients and colleagues in Frankfurt, New York or Singapore a familiar point of reference without the need to explain where your business is based.
For international visitors, the City’s transport connections make it a practical place to meet, whether they’re arriving at Heathrow, London City Airport or St Pancras. The Elizabeth line and services through Bank, Liverpool Street and Cannon Street provide connections across the capital, making the onward journey to your office easier.
Why financial firms base themselves across London
London’s finance sector is concentrated in a handful of hubs, with a firm’s location often reflecting who it deals with day to day as much as the work it does. A corporate finance team and a mid-market fund might handle comparable deals yet choose the City and Mayfair respectively. For the corporate finance team, proximity to banks and lawyers may be the priority, while the fund may place more value on being close to its investors.
Why Mayfair and St James’s appeal to private equity firms
Many private equity firms, hedge funds and family offices choose Mayfair and St James’s, where proximity to investors, private client lawyers and wealth advisers can be more useful than a location near the Square Mile’s trading floors.
If you’re considering serviced offices in Mayfair or St James’s, you’ll find many in period townhouses, which can offer a quieter, more private arrival than a shared tower lobby. For firms that value discretion, the way clients and colleagues enter the building can matter as much as the postcode.
Eight things for private equity and finance firms to look for
1. An address that does some of the work for you
Your address appears on your fund documents, your pitch decks and your email signature. For a finance firm, a recognised address in one of London’s established financial districts can carry weight before anyone has walked through the door.
Look for buildings with genuine architectural presence and a location your clients can picture without a map. The difference between an address people know and one they have to look up is small on paper, but significant in practice.
2. Real privacy, not just a closed door
This is where some flexible office space in the City of London falls short, as open-plan floors and glass pods may suit certain businesses without providing the acoustic privacy needed for a call about a live transaction.
When viewing an office, ask whether private call booths are available without booking a full meeting room, and whether visitors can reach your floor without passing every other business in the building. Discretion is easier to achieve when it has been considered in the layout from the outset, as shortcomings can be difficult to address later.
3. A private, secure network
Shared Wi-Fi may not be ideal when you’re handling investor data, deal documents or other confidential information. Depending on your business needs it’s worth looking for your own private, secure LAN with dedicated bandwidth, rather than a connection shared with other businesses in the building.
Ask how the network is segregated, what happens if a neighbouring business saturates the line, and whether you can bring your own hardware. The answers will tell you quickly how seriously the operator takes this.
4. Meeting rooms that stand up to the moment
For a private equity firm, meeting rooms play an important role in how investors, advisers and management teams experience your business. An LP visiting for the first time, a management team arriving for diligence, a bank presenting terms: these are not occasions for a room with a wobbly table and a screen that takes ten minutes to connect.
Look for a range of meeting room sizes, so a four-person catch-up doesn’t require a boardroom for twenty, and check that the AV works before you book. Ask how much notice is needed for room bookings and catering, since deal calendars rarely give you much warning.
5. Terms that move at the speed of your fund
Headcount in finance is rarely stable. A new fund close, a bolt-on acquisition or a secondment can add four people in a month. A conventional lease may offer less flexibility to respond quickly, which is one reason many investment teams choose a serviced office.
Ask what happens when you need to expand mid-term, whether the operator has other buildings you could move into, and how much notice is required either way. Flexibility that only works in one direction isn’t much use.
6. A front-of-house team that reads the room
As the first people your investors meet, your reception team should know who’s expected and be ready to greet them by name, take their coat and show them through without fuss.
We’d encourage you to visit more than once if you can, as an ordinary working day offers a better sense of how the building runs than a scheduled tour alone.
7. Space that carries your brand, not the operator’s
If you’re hosting investors, you don’t want them to see another company’s logo behind your reception desk. Our properties are always unbranded, so the space reads as yours from the moment someone arrives. For a firm whose credibility rests partly on how it presents itself, that distinction matters.
8. Costs you can forecast
All-inclusive pricing that covers business rates, utilities, security, cleaning and connectivity gives your finance team one predictable figure rather than a spread of variable invoices. Ask what sits outside the monthly rate, particularly meeting room hire, catering and any charges for out-of-hours access.
Two properties worth considering in the City of London
We have several buildings across the Square Mile, with two in particular well suited to finance and investment teams.
Octagon Point, 5 Cheapside, EC2V
Octagon Point occupies an island site directly beside St Paul’s Cathedral, with floor-to-ceiling glazing that gives the offices, lounge and meeting rooms panoramic views across the city. It’s one of the more distinctive addresses in EC2, with its setting beside St Paul’s making a memorable first impression.
- Private offices from £800 per desk per month
- Four meeting rooms, including the Wellington, which seats 16
- St Paul’s station is on the doorstep, with seven stations inside a ten-minute walk
- Secure bike storage, shower and changing rooms
- Event space with views across the capital
85 Gresham Street, EC2V
For firms that value proximity to the City’s banking, advisory and professional services network, 85 Gresham Street is particularly well placed. This imposing corner building runs over six floors directly opposite the Guildhall, four minutes from Bank and five from Mansion House.
- Private offices priced from £695 per desk per month
- Five meeting rooms in the City of London from the six-person Basinghall to the Guildhall room for 24
- Event space for up to 80 guests, available for private hire in the evenings and at weekends
- A contemporary interior across lounges, offices and meeting spaces
- Secure bike storage, shower and changing rooms
Both buildings sit within our wider City of London collection, alongside 1 Cornhill, King William Street and 288 Bishopsgate.
Two West End properties worth considering
In Mayfair and St James’s, two of our buildings are particularly well suited to private equity and investment teams. Originally built as private townhouses, they naturally offer a quieter, more private place to work and host guests.
78-79 Pall Mall, SW1Y
78–79 Pall Mall is a Grade II listed townhouse in the heart of St James’s, where ornate original features and views across the capital give the building its distinctive character. Inside, you’ll find a business lounge, a private video call booth and three meeting rooms.
- Private offices from £845 per desk per month
- Three meeting rooms, from a four-person room to the Boardroom, which seats 14
- Event space for up to 100 guests, available for private hire in the evenings and at weekends
- Green Park and Piccadilly Circus stations are both around eight minutes’ walk away
- Shower rooms and car parking, and dogs are welcome
84 Brook Street, W1K
84 Brook Street sits between New Bond Street and Grosvenor Square, two minutes from Bond Street station. Behind its red brick and ironwork façade, this Grade II listed townhouse offers a warm, quiet setting, with an elegant reception and a lounge and kitchen where you can work or host guests.
- Private offices from £1,050 per desk per month
- Two meeting rooms, the Maurice Hulbert for eight and the Mayfair for 12
- Event space for up to 40 guests, available for private hire in the evenings and at weekends
- A private video call booth and shower rooms
- Car parking and wheelchair access, and dogs are welcome
Among the properties in our wider Mayfair collection are 23 Berkeley Square, 14 and 32 Curzon Street, 8–10 Hill Street, 53 Davies Street, 20 North Audley Street and 29 Farm Street.
Finding the right office for your firm
Your choice of office shapes both your team’s working day and the experience of the investors you welcome, so the details deserve as much attention as the address. Visiting gives you time to consider how you would use the building, where confidential conversations would take place and how comfortably it could accommodate your firm as its needs change.
If you’re considering the City, Mayfair or St James’s, we’d be pleased to show you around our properties, understand how your team works and help you find the right setting for your business Book a tour or call 020 3008 8888.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are serviced offices suitable for regulated financial services firms?
Serviced offices can be suitable for regulated financial services firms, provided the premises and services support the firm’s operational and compliance requirements. Before committing, involve your compliance team in reviewing the arrangements with the operator, as your firm remains responsible for meeting its regulatory obligations.
Can I use a serviced office address as my registered office?
At Argyll, yes. A registered office address is included with our private offices. If you’re using our virtual office service, you can add a registered office address for £40 per month, alongside mail handling from £130 per month..
What if my team grows mid-contract?
Ask whether the operator can move you within the same building or across their other properties. Our customers can expand into different offices as headcount changes, and coworking access across ten of our properties from £415 a month gives you room to absorb short-term growth without taking on more square footage.
What should I check about data security and confidentiality in a serviced office?
Ask how your business network is separated from other occupiers’ networks, who can access your office and how confidential documents can be stored and disposed of securely. You’ll also want to check whether sensitive calls can be overheard and establish which security arrangements the operator manages and which remain your responsibility.
How much does a serviced office in London cost?
Rates vary considerably by area, building and availability. In the City, our private offices currently start from £695 at 85 Gresham Street and £800 at Octagon Point. In the West End, rates start from £620 at 23 Berkeley Square, £845 at 78-79 Pall Mall and £1,050 at 84 Brook Street. Business rates, utilities, security, cleaning and connectivity are included. Entry-level rates move with availability, so it’s worth confirming at the point of enquiry.
Is the City better than the West End for a private equity firm?
It depends on where your investors and advisers sit. Firms with a banking, insurance or corporate finance focus tend to favour the City for proximity. Those with a family office or consumer investment focus often prefer Mayfair or St James’s. We have properties across both, so it’s worth comparing the two before you decide.
