The breezy Sindbad, with its fairytale white walls and manicured tropical gardens, is the Taj Mahal of Tunisian beach hotels: big, impressive and made for romance. Honeymooning couples stroll through the hallways hand in hand, while kids snorkel in the swimming pools (there are three to choose from), shuttle buses leave for the 18-hole golf course and morning yoga and meditation sessions get underway on the beach.

With hundreds of rooms, expansive grounds, four restaurants and three bars to maintain, it’s amazing that The Sindbad isn’t swallowed up by itself. But almost everyone who stays within its five star walls seems to leave happy, impressed by The Sindbad’s ability to combine the feel of a big holiday resort with lashings of style and class. This is the kind of place you go to escape it all, to kick back on a sunlounger on the quiet beach while the rise and fall of the swell sings you to sleep. Waves, boats, bars, restaurants and stores are all within a ten-minute walk; people come back here year after year because The Sindbad makes vacationing easy.

The only mildly taxing thing you’ll have to do is find your way back to your room. They are spread out along labyrinthine corridors, painted in white, brown and blue as if in a medina. This hotel is big on attention to detail; pillows are plumped to perfection, rose petals are scattered on the quilts, the AC is cranked to the perfect temperature and there are even little gifts in each room (we were offered his and hers keychains adorned with mini Tunisian-style shoes.) The bathrooms are sublime, featuring big tubs, floor to ceiling mirrors (with adjacent plug sockets for hairdryers), and stone showers big enough for two. Spacious balconies look out over the gardens or the ocean.

You’re spoilt for choice here come supper time. The signature a la carte choice, Le Chiraz, which has outdoor tables underneath a linen canopy, is the clear winner, although the food won’t blow your mind. We tried the chef’s Tunisian tuna steak, which came with crispy sauteed vegetables. The tuna was a little overcooked but the friendly, smooth service made up for it. There’s also a pretty good Thai spot, Manora, which has its own private leafy courtyard and tasty yellow curries.

After dark, you can hit up Pub 19, which has Guinness on tap, or the Djinn Bar. The next morning, breakfast is served in yet another restaurant, the Sheherazade. It’s a people-pleasing affair, filled with buffet counters designed to appeal to French, German and American tastes. Think everything from pancakes, waffles and fried eggs, to platters of Camembert cheese, salads, fresh fruit, charcuterie plates and muesli with yoghurt. After all that food, it might be a good idea to rest up before easing into the pool. We liked the sleek infinity pool that looks out over the ocean, but there’s also an outdoor fun pool and an indoor pool that backs onto the hip spa, where treatment rooms offer ayurvedic massages, hammam days and plant-based reflexology.