Hotel Review: El Pescador Resort in Bolinao, Pangasinan

The default area when it becomes to beach resorts in Pangasinan it seems, is Bolinao, a small town at the northwestern tip of the province. During our time in Pangasinan, I stayed in El Pescador Resort which is located right at the main town and a short distance from the iconic Bolinao Church.

The accommodation choices inside the resort vary from humble kubo (nipa hut) style rooms to multi-storey hotel type lodging. During my stay at El Pescador, I had a go at the resort’s spanking new “grand building” which partially opened only in December 2014. The staff was quick to point out that we were just the fifth group to stay in the new building. Only the second floor was ready for occupancy, with the higher floors still under construction.

The rooms at the grand building were well-appointed and followed a maritime theme with a tinge of colonial flavor thrown in. The furnishings were spanking new and at the time of our stay, seemed to have never been used before. Lamps were placed on tables with no sockets nearby to plug them to. Fortunately, the room was already well-lighted but could do with an extra socket or two for those wishing to charge their phones or gadgets.

Entertainment-wise, the room was well equipped with a flat screen TV with cable. A survey of the channels available revealed a good mix of both local and foreign channels. Though I was spoiled for choice with the boob tube, I preferred to sit by the balcony facing the sea for that calming and relaxing vibe. My stay came with ala-carte breakfast with typical Filipino dishes such as tapsilog and longsilog and for two days, I had my morning meals overlooking the sea.

El Pescador is a family targeted resort and its facilities reflect that. There are two huge pools with slides including one which was 3 storeys tall. It’s entirely possible to spend the entire day just lounging about the pool area, something both kids and adults will enjoy. I was there right smack in the Christmas high season and found the pool spacious enough to handle the guests that are checked in to the resort.

For those looking to explore more of Pangasinan, the resort offers tours around Bolinao though we decided to DIY this to fit our interests.

The resort’s shoreline is a working shoreline. This means that in the morning, one can witness fishermen making their catch for the day though the waters are decent enough to swim on. For the best waters around Bolinao however, one may very well venture to Patar. But for proximity to the main town, El Pescador is perhaps the best resort around the poblacion or town center.

I was hosted by the property. However, all opinions are my own.