A week at the FERGUS Club Palmanova Park with a 6-month-old
We flew from Manchester to Palma on a Saturday evening in early October 2024. It was our first holiday as a family of three and we were a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. Our daughter was six months old and we did not really know how she would handle the flight, the heat, the routine change, any of it. Turns out it was all fine.
We chose Mallorca because the flight from Manchester is short, about two hours and forty-five minutes, and the transfer to the Palmanova area from Palma airport is only around thirty-five minutes. When you are travelling with a baby, the transfer time is something you should really pay attention to. The last thing anyone wants after a couple of hours at the airport and a flight is to then sit on a coach for another hour and a half with a baby who has had enough. We were actually the first hotel drop-off on the coach, which was a bonus.
We booked through Jet2 and paid around £1,344 for the whole package. Flights, transfers, hotel, all inclusive. For a week in Mallorca for three of us, that felt like a bargain. It helped that we went in early October, outside of school holidays and technically out of season. The weather was still gorgeous though. Highs of around 23 to 25 degrees during the day, cooling off nicely in the evening. For a baby, it was actually ideal. Hot enough to enjoy the pool and the beach but not so hot that you are constantly worrying about overheating.
The flight
The flight itself was a non-event, which is the best thing you can say about flying with a baby. She slept for a chunk of it and was happy enough for the rest. The Jet2 staff were great and gave her a little first flight certificate which was a nice touch. The only downside was trying to change her in the plane toilet. If you have done it, you know. If you have not, just prepare yourself. It is not designed for it and you will both come out a bit flustered. We took a small foldable holiday buggy with us rather than our big pram. The type where you can take it all the way through the airport and right up to the plane, then leave it at the door and they put it in the hold. That meant we did not have to carry her through the airport which was a massive help. On the other end you do have to carry her from the plane to luggage collection to pick it up, which was not ideal, but still better than spending a fortune on one of those tiny hand-luggage buggies. Jet2 handled it all without any fuss. Once we were on the ground it made getting around so much easier and doubled up as shade for the baby when we were out and about.
The hotel
The FERGUS Club Palmanova Park is a 4-star hotel according to Jet2. That is probably a touch generous. It is a solid, decent family hotel but it is not luxury by any stretch. It does what it needs to do and does it well enough.
We arrived at around ten at night. The baby was way past her bedtime and we were all hungry and a bit frazzled. There were about five families and couples who arrived at the same time and only one person on check-in, so it was a bit slow. Once we got through, the hotel had put out a small late-night buffet for us. Bread, ham, cheese, that sort of thing. Nothing fancy but they did not have to do it and we were grateful. There is nowhere to eat within a few minutes of the hotel so if you are arriving late, this is a lifesaver.
The room was a standard double with a pool view. I always pay the little bit extra for a pool view because I like to sit on the balcony and people-watch, and you never know what you will be staring at otherwise. The room was clean and fine. Double bed, bathroom, TV, balcony. They provided a cot for the baby which was clean and perfectly decent. No complaints there.
One thing worth mentioning: there is no kettle in the room. We were bottle-feeding and needed boiling water, which we got from the cafe next to the pool. We used a thermos to keep it warm. I think you can request a kettle if you need one but we managed without. The air conditioning was on a seasonal setting, which is common in these European hotels. We did not desperately need it in October but there were a few nights where it would have been nice to have the option.
Food and drink
The all-inclusive package kept things simple and that was exactly what we wanted. We are not big drinkers but with a baby, the convenience of just being able to grab food and drinks whenever you need them without thinking about it is worth every penny.
Breakfast had a good selection. Pastries, pancakes, fruit, cereals, cooked options, the usual European spread. It was not the highest quality and some of it felt a bit cheap, but there was plenty of it and it changed up a bit day to day. The buffet room is big and there was always enough space. Plenty of room around the tables for high chairs and buggies, which makes a difference.
Snacks and drinks were available throughout the day on the all-inclusive wristband. Never really any queues and loads of drink options. By about day five, you are probably a bit over the buffet food, which is normal for these kinds of hotels. If you fancied a change, there were a few restaurants within walking distance.
The pools
The hotel has two pools. One is basically for kids, with slides and water features, and the other is the main pool where adults and kids mix. As with most of these European hotel pools, the water was absolutely freezing. We had hoped to do some swimming with our six-month-old but it was too cold for her, which was a bit disappointing.
Sunbeds were plentiful and easy to get. We never had to do that thing where you go down at six in the morning to reserve one with a towel, which was a relief. That said, this is a very family-oriented hotel. There are kids everywhere, running around, shouting, splashing. If that is your thing, great. If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing pool experience without children, this probably is not the one.
The hotel runs entertainment and activities throughout the day. Games, competitions, that sort of thing. We did not really get involved but other families seemed to enjoy it. The evening entertainment was a bit naff if we are being honest. There were not really enough seats and it was hard to enjoy with a young baby. It ran until eleven or midnight and because we had a poolside room, you could hear it. We did not mind and the baby slept right through it, but it is worth knowing if noise bothers you.
The hotel has a gym but I would not get excited about it. It is basically in a shed and not really usable for any serious workout.
The local area
The hotel is in a quiet spot which suited us perfectly. About a seven-minute walk away there is a supermarket, we think it was a Lidl, plus a few other little shops. Enough to pick up any bits you need like nappies, water, snacks, sun cream.
About a ten-minute walk in the other direction takes you down to Es Carregador Beach and the restaurants and bars around it. The beach is beautiful. Fine white sand, clean, calm water with a gentle slope into the sea. It is a Blue Flag beach and really well maintained. The sea was still warm in October, much warmer than the hotel pool ironically. It is a great family beach, shallow and safe, and part of a promenade that connects three beaches along the Palmanova coastline.
Down by the beach there are some nice restaurants and bars. Nothing wild, it is not a party strip, but there is enough for a pleasant evening out or a few drinks. We mostly stuck to the hotel because of the all-inclusive and the baby, but we had a wander and some snacks and drinks down there. Very friendly, easy, relaxing vibe.
For anyone wanting a bit more nightlife, Magaluf is only about a ten to fifteen minute taxi ride away. You could probably walk it in an hour along the coast. It could actually be a decent setup if you wanted to stay out of the Magaluf madness but dip into it when you fancied a night out.
Would we go back?
Probably not, but only because there is a big world out there and we want to see more of it. We would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for something similar though. A cheap and cheerful family holiday in the sun with a young baby. It is not fancy and it will not blow you away, but it does the job. The location is decent, the hotel is fine, the beach is lovely, and the whole week was just easy. For our first holiday as a family of three, that was exactly what we needed.
The essentials
- Where: FERGUS Club Palmanova Park, Palmanova, Mallorca
- When: Early October 2024 (one week)
- Who: Couple with a 6-month-old baby
- Booked through: Jet2 (flights, transfers, hotel, all inclusive)
- Cost: Around £1,344 total for the full package
- Flight: Manchester to Palma, approximately 2 hours 45 minutes
- Transfer: Around 35 minutes from the airport
- Nearest beach: Es Carregador Beach (about 10 minutes walk)
- Nearest shops: Supermarket about 7 minutes walk
- Good for: Families with young children, first family holidays, budget-friendly trips
- Not ideal for: Couples wanting peace and quiet, anyone expecting luxury