I just had my first experience at El Pescador where I stayed one night between coming back from Yelapa and flying home (US - Midwest). I had a pleasant experience. All of the common areas are well kept and the service was some of the best I've received. Room was clean and in totally acceptable condition given the age of the hotel itself. The mattresses are firm. My room was on the second floor overlooking the pool. I noticed no sewage smell at any time during my 22 hour stay. My room was ready despite my arriving at 1:30pm. The FREE breakfast is only juice, coffee, a plate of daily fruit, and bread with butter and jam. The bread was delicious as was the watermelon, and the meal was completely satisfying. If you are expecting a 3 star hotel that is clean with a restaurant and exceptional service, and a nice clean pool, this is a great spot. Malecon is only a few blocks, and there is lots of shopping on the way there. The beach was nice but not Los Muertos nice. I understand the fence as there is some graffiti and those without housing who sleep on the beach, so the fence is necessary for security purposes. If you are turned off by a minor amount of graffiti and homeless presence, then you likely would not be happy here. I would absolutely stay again for a similar trip.
What could be improved - I had 3 towels and a bathmat in the bathroom but no hand towel(s) or washclothe(s). A microwave if not in the room, in a common area, would be nice to heat up left overs versus having to