What’s a Jet2 Holiday to Majorca like?

Last updated on August 21, 2023

We’ve just come back from a very different holiday to the usual Bridges and Balloons style. While we normally spend ages creating individual, bespoke itineraries, often road trips, filled with unique places to stay, this time it was all done for us. We went on a classic package holiday.  

We were invited by Jet2 to review one of their family trips to Mallorca (also known as Majorca). And while, for me, researching and planning is part of the fun of travel, after a particularly busy time of late, the idea of a package was pretty appealing. Flights, accommodation, and even some of the food all mapped out, plus lots of easy things to entertain the kids ­– it sounded so wonderfully easy.

Plus I grew up on package holidays, travelling all over Europe with my parents, excited by breakfast buffets, mini discos and the holiday vibe of classic resorts, so I was keen for my kids to experience the same. Those holidays hold some of my most treasured memories. I even went to Mallorca several times on similar holidays as a child, so the destination was nostalgic too.

And we’ve also been to Croatia with Jet2 in the past and had an amazing time.

So what was our trip to Mallorca like? Did we enjoy the ease of a package or long for something more bespoke? Is it possible to have a bit of both? Here’s a full review of our Jet2holidays family holiday to Mallorca, including some tips for making the most out of a package holiday.

Also see our guide to things to do in Puerto Pollensa. And our guide to travelling with a baby and where to stay with a baby ( and why sometimes a package holiday might be your best option).

Full disclosure: we were invited on the trip by Jet2, but all opinions are of course genuine. See our policy on working with partners here.

Why we chose a Jet2Holiday to Majorca

We spent a long time thinking about where we wanted to go on a package holiday. When I was little, I visited lots of the classics including Santa Ponsa, Benidorm, Alcudia and the Algarve. While my memories of those holidays are great, I don’t think the destination itself played a huge part – it was more about spending time with family and soaking in the holiday vibe.

For this holiday, I was keen to avoid the larger resorts and definitely wanted to steer clear of the big party places. I wanted somewhere that still had some of the local culture, rather than being a full-on Brits abroad holiday destination. But, at the same time, I didn’t want to be somewhere entirely remote and liked the idea of being able to spend some time in a smaller resort town where the kids could experience that classic beach holiday atmosphere.

We looked into lots of destinations, including Greece, Turkey and the Canaries before eventually honing-in on the Balearics and Majorca. This was largely because the idea of a two-hour flight was more appealing than four hours plus. And the climate looked less sweltering than the alternatives in August. Plus it’s stunning.

We looked into lots of Majorca hotels and resorts and eventually honed-in on the north-east around Puerto Pollensa. We liked that the town has a limit on the height of its buildings, which avoids that concrete-jungle look of so many of the big resort towns. Plus it’s close to plenty of gorgeous nature, while also having a few old towns nearby for a bit of culture and local life. There’s no doubt it’s still very much a holidaymaker heavy destination, and it’s very popular with British expats, but it feels calmer than some of the alternatives, and with a more sedate nightlife and family-friendly feel.

The Jet2 booking experience

Jet2 has A LOT of choice, ranging from two-star self-catering options to five-star luxury resorts. The website’s search function makes it easy to hone-in on suitable options by choosing multiple departure airports, destinations and a range of dates. And then filtering by star rating and Tripadvisor rating.

I know Tripadvisor is often a bit of a minefield of opinion, but it’s a useful way to whittle down thousands of options. Plus by reading the reviews you can get a rough sense for what the hotel is like and the kind of audience it attracts. For example, it was a big no for me if it said that the animation team were “really good” at getting everyone involved even those who didn’t want to at first (my idea of a nightmare!).

When searching for a holiday, one thing to look out for is free child places, which include flights and accommodation. Jet2 often offer a limited number of these and they can save you a lot of money. Search for Majorca flights with Jet2.

Other things to pay attention to are the flight timings and the transfer duration. Package holidays normally include a free transfer from the airport to the hotel and this often stops at multiple resorts en route, which can make for a long journey. You might want to factor that into your decision when choosing a destination. That said, we got around this by hiring a car, meaning we could do the 45-minute journey ourselves rather than taking the two-hour transfer.

Once you’re booked, the handy Jet2 app holds all your holiday info and also lets you add on any additional baggage, reserve airplane meals in advance and book any additional services such as car hire. We booked our car hire through Jet2 as it was the same price as the alternatives we looked into.

The Jet2 airport and flight experience

It’s 2022 and the summer of airport chaos so we were apprehensive about flying in August. We anticipated long queues, delays and even cancellations, but the reality was very different. We arrived to no queue at all at the check-in desks in Bristol Airport, and security was also a breeze. Once on the plane, there was a short 15-minute delay, but nothing too troubling.

On the way back, the check-in queue in Palma was longer but moved quickly and the flight left on time.

In part, all of this was luck and we’ve heard stories of much longer queues. But the most important thing about Jet2 is that it’s proved itself as the most reliable airline during the chaos of 2022, and 98% of its flights have flown, which is a big difference to some of the alternatives. It definitely makes it one of the best options for holidays from Bristol airport.

Our Jet2 Hotel experience

We stayed at the Aparthotel Club del Sol & SPA with Jet2holidays which is right on the coast and about 20 minutes’ walk from the main resort town of Puerto Pollensa. The immediate part of the coast it’s on doesn’t really have a beach (just a narrow strip of pebbles) but is still beautiful with gorgeous mountain views. It’s a popular spot for kitesurfing and we saw plenty during our stay.

The rooms at Aparthotel Club del Sol & SPA

The hotel has a mixture of suites and bedrooms, and you can opt for self-catering, half board or all-inclusive. The suites come with a kitchenette, which is handily hidden behind cupboard doors for a more streamlined, tidy look when not in use. And the rooms have been recently re-designed with a modern coastal style.

Our suite had a separate bedroom, as well as a living area, which was brilliant for us as it meant the boys could be in different rooms, which made for better sleep for everyone. There was also a balcony, so Steve and I could hang out there once the boys were asleep. It was pretty magic to have that time together at the end of the day.

The pools at Aparthotel Club del Sol & SPA

The pools were a highlight, especially the kids’ splash pool, which our boys were obsessed by. It was the perfect size for them (ages 2 and 4), with a few gentle slides, plus some bigger ones for slightly older kids. It was never too busy, which was a plus as we’d been put off other places because they sounded so crowded.

There were two other pool areas: the main pool, next to the pool bar, where all the entertainment (or ‘animation’ as it seems to be called in package holiday lingo) happened – for example games of volleyball and water aerobics. This was by far the most popular pool and had good views of the sea beyond. It was fairly noisy, especially when the animation team were around, but that created a fun party atmosphere if that’s what you wanted.

Personally I spent more time at the other pool, which was a much quieter option with both a kids and large pool. The only downside was that it was next to the football pitch, which is surrounded by a fairly unsightly wire fence.

Food at Aparthotel Club del Sol & SPA

Food was a major highlight for Otis who is a mega fan of breakfast buffets and loved having a mad medley of churros, cereals, fruit and three types of honey every morning! For us, it was good but not exceptional – I enjoyed the novelty of it, but the food was fairly basic. That said, as far as breakfast buffets in resorts go, it wasn’t bad and had a wide selection of fruits, cereals, cold cuts, pancakes, made-to-order omelettes, pastries, hot breakfast food (like hash browns, bacon, sausages) and nice little extras such as chia seeds to sprinkle on your yoghurt.

The dinner buffet was less good, especially for vegetarians. We paid extra to try it on two of the nights and were underwhelmed by the vegetarian options. Had we been meat or fish eaters, it would have been much better. But I did enjoy the veggie paella, soup and desserts. And Otis thought it was amazing, enjoying filling up on tomato pasta, pizza, chips and – his biggest highlight of all – the build-your-own sundae. It’s because of the latter that we went back twice!

Personally I’d recommend going for the B&B or self-catering option and then trying the dinner buffet on one or two nights, while getting your other meals out or cooking for yourself.

There’s also a pool bar, which serves some basic meals at lunchtime. And the hotel bar has a good selection of drinks – I enjoyed an Aperol Spritz every night.

And a big plus point is that the decor in the buffet restaurant and hotel bar is stylish and makes for a comfy dining experience.

Entertainment at Aparthotel Club del Sol & SPA

There’s a whole programme of animation at the hotel, including daytime events and evening entertainment. We spent a lot of time out and about, and are also fairly introverted, so didn’t get involved in the daytime activities. But we did enjoy some of the evening entertainment, best of all the nightly mini disco, which the kids loved – the team who run that are brilliant.

The evening shows tended to clash with the boys’ bedtime, so we only heard them from our balcony. Initially this panicked us as the first night was very loud karaoke, so we wondered how the boys would ever sleep, but they did, and the subsequent nights were quieter anyway. If you’re keen to sleep before 11 and are a light sleeper, ask for a room away from the stage.

Other amenities at at Aparthotel Club del Sol & SPA

The hotel also has a lovely adults-only spa with sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and giant hot tub. And there’s a mini golf course next to the ocean

There’s also a useful well-stocked shop on the hotel site with food for those who are self-catering, as well as pool and beach equipment.

Things to do nearby

We love exploring so didn’t spend full days at the hotel and instead visited a different beach or town every day. There are lots of great options nearby, including Puerto Pollensa old town, Alcudia old town, Formentor beach and Cala San Vincente.

You can visit these places by bus or taxi, but we would highly recommend hiring a car. We heard that it can be tricky getting a taxi, and the bus wait times can be long, so having a car avoids the uncertainty.

The walk into Puerto Pollensa is about 20 minutes along the coast. The first half is along the bike lane of a fairly busy main road, so while the views are stunning across the water, the actual path isn’t ideal. Once you get onto the beach boardwalk, it’s lovely. I did my morning run along here each day and loved it.

We’ve written a full guide to things to do in Puerto Pollensa.

Would we do it again?

So the big question: did we enjoy our package holiday to Majorca? That’s a full wholehearted yes – it was a relaxing, fun-filled family holiday. But do we rate it over other options and would we do it again? I’m going to write a full post with the pros and cons of package holidays versus road trips, but here it is in brief.

In terms of flying with Jet2, that’s easy: I rate them as one of the best options from Bristol Airport, especially for their reliability. And the staff are always super friendly and helpful. I would opt for them every time over other budget providers.

But would we book a package? I think the answer is it depends. First off, there’s a wonderful ease in having everything laid out for you, and you can still have agency by researching and planning your own day trips. The convenience of having everything you need all on one site, including food, entertainment and pools, is handy, but it also means you’re in a definite holidaymaker bubble, often of just British tourists.

If you go all-inclusive or half board, you’re on a specific timetable for meals, which might not fit in with your plans, but equally takes away any of the trouble of choosing where to eat.

The entertainment will be a blessing or a curse depending on your vibe, but kids will likely love it. For us, we could have done without it personally, but also loved having it there for the kids.

Overall, I think if there’s a buffet, a mini disco and a splash pool, it’s a pretty sure fire way to please kids on a family holiday. But whether or not you choose it depends on your own personal priorities and preferences. I think I’ll always prefer a road trip as I love the planning, the variety and the adventure. But I will also definitely consider another package for those times where something easy is exactly the cup of tea I need.

More Spain tips

For more tips on Spain, see our guide to the best road trips in Spain, and our Barcelona guides, including the best things to do in Barcelona with kids.

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