The restoration process was planned in seven stages, details of this process are provided below::

During the first stage, a work of photographic documentation was carried out with the objective of fixing a working path before dealing with the demolition of the building and consequent restoration, this way they could have data about those elements that would need to be copied as they were too damaged..

During the second stage, the elements of the building that had been previously added to the building were demolished and the interior of the building was emptied..

The third stage was devoted to an analysis of the structural elements in the building, paying special attention to the holes and fissures in the walls. The cracks were sealed; the walls were cramped and reinforced with a wire mesh. The state of the wood beams was checked and fixed..

Once the structure of the building was reinforced, the fourth stage begins, a stage that is basically artisan, some of the architectonic elements are analysed to evaluate if they could possibly be recovered. As an example we may mention the restoration process of the locksmiths’ craft and the carpentry. Those elements were heavily damaged and they were substituted by elements with the same features, the work performed on the front door is especially remarkable. With regards to the floors, the reconstruction and substitution of pieces was performed following the directions of specialists, tiles and ceramics with the same characteristics as the originals were found, this was a very thorough and patient investigation work, searching for the most suitable materials. One of the most difficult tasks was the restoration of the coffered ceiling and the decorative plaster ornaments..

During the fifth stage, means were taken to protect the work performed due to the alarming state of some of the nearby buildings. Some of them were invaded by termites, which can damage wood. Another thing was the lack of protection against fire that these buildings had. As a consequence of the described situation, several works were carried out to protect the building against insects and fungus; a fireproof system was also installed in the building..

The sixth stage was given over to brickwork and the restoration of the building casing, the design was preserved and a waterproof system was added following the law in force at the time. Other tiles of very similar characteristics substituted the tiles in the casing. The skylight protecting the patio from bad weather, was also replaced, this work was carried out at the end of the restoration process..

The works were concluded during the seventh stage, during which the interior installations were totally renewed, the plumbing and drainage installations as well as the electronic devices, telephones, video, etc were also replaced, and the brickwork was all finished..

The final outcome of the restoration was the total adaptation of the building to its new purposes, the building was provided with offices, meeting rooms and suitable appliances..

An aspect of the restoration process that requires individual attention is the search for ornamental elements, which would somehow recreate the decoration of the palace during past times. With this idea in mind the flowerpot and plants for the patio were chosen, being palm trees the protagonists. The lanterns were reproduced, and they were kept in the places where they had been originally. Two-candle holder statues were purchased in the Madrid’s “rastro”, (Sunday market), made by the Durenne School, they evoked the ones that had been in the patio at the beginning of the 20th century. The statues from The Three Graces fountain in the capital are also from that school; they were sculpted in Sommevoire (France), at the end of the 19th century. A new chandelier was placed in the stairs dome, it originally worked with gas but it was electrically adapted, the chandelier once belonged to the palace of Mora-Figueroa family from Madrid and it was very similar to the one that existed in the past. One of the things that could not be successfully reproduced was the fountain that used to be in the patio during the time the building was the Regina Hotel. There were no proper photographies and data to reproduce a faithful fountain so the project was dropped. The necessary installations were done, as a posterior reproduction of the fountain was not dismissed. Apart from all the decoration just outlined, they were particularly careful in making new elements such as directories, labels, curtains, etc be harmonically integrated with the environment, securing that the sense of being in a palace was not disrupted..

As it has been said before, the restoration of the Ugarte Barrientos Palace was the starting point for the restoration of a number of buildings in the historic centre of Malaga. EDIPSA and the architect Mr Francisco Javier Martín Malo, received several prizes for the work performed by the Architects School and the Technical Architects School in Malaga in 1897. Merit was also given to the outstanding work of the companies that had cooperated in the restoration process with the award of diplomas certifying their participation in the job..

The feeling that resulted from the restoration of the Ugarte-Barrientos Palace can be summarised in a quotation from an interview made by the journalist Mr Julián Sesmero to Mr Francisco Porras Fontiveros..

“He told me when I met him: 'We are very excited about this project. When people pass by Puerta del Mar street and stop to gaze the building and say so many beautiful things about it I feel my work has a meaning, I believe we are returning Malaga something which the city deserved. That is so simple that it honours me as an entrepreneur. I am one of those who believe that we need to return to the city its old splendour, the aesthetic it always had…'”