On May 3, 2007, the tranquil seaside village of Praia da Luz in Portugal’s Algarve region was thrust into the global spotlight when three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished from her family’s holiday apartment at the Ocean Club resort. The high-profile case, described as the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history, left an indelible mark on the resort and its community. Nearly two decades later, as of August 22, 2025, the Ocean Club, operated by Mark Warner Holidays, continues to operate but has faced significant challenges in the aftermath of the tragedy. From a devastating drop in tourism to the morbid curiosity of guests seeking to rent the infamous apartment 5A in hopes of uncovering clues, the resort’s journey reflects a complex interplay of grief, stigma, and attempts at recovery. This article explores the fate of the Ocean Club, its business performance, and the peculiar phenomenon of visitors drawn to the site of Madeleine’s disappearance.

The Night That Changed Everything

Madeleine McCann, a bright and lively toddler from Rothley, Leicestershire, was on a week-long family holiday with her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and her twin siblings, Sean and Amelie. The family had rented apartment 5A, a two-bedroom ground-floor unit in the Waterside Village section of the Ocean Club, for approximately £1,500 through Mark Warner Holidays. On the evening of May 3, while Kate and Gerry dined with friends at a tapas restaurant just 55 meters away, Madeleine was left sleeping in the apartment alongside her siblings. The parents checked on the children periodically, but when Kate returned at around 10 p.m., she found Madeleine gone, the bedroom window open, and the shutters raised. Her anguished cry—“They’ve taken her!”—marked the beginning of a mystery that remains unsolved.

The Ocean Club, a sprawling complex of villa-style apartments with amenities like a pool, tennis courts, and restaurants, was known for its family-friendly atmosphere and proximity to Praia da Luz’s white sandy beaches. Marketed as a safe haven for British holidaymakers, it was part of the Algarve’s “Little Britain,” a region popular among UK tourists. However, the resort’s open layout, with apartments accessible from public streets, became a point of scrutiny after Madeleine’s disappearance. The tragedy exposed vulnerabilities, and the subsequent media storm transformed the Ocean Club from a hidden gem into a symbol of loss.

A Devastating Blow to Business

The immediate aftermath of Madeleine’s disappearance was catastrophic for Praia da Luz and the Ocean Club. As news crews descended on the village, broadcasting images of apartment 5A and the resort’s entrance to millions worldwide, tourism plummeted. Local business owners reported a 50% drop in visitors in the months following the incident, with families canceling bookings out of fear. “It was devastating,” said Mariana Baiao, a restaurant owner near the resort. “This area is calm, family-oriented. But after 2007, people stopped coming. Many lost their jobs.” The Ocean Club, heavily reliant on British and European tourists, faced a sharp decline in bookings, particularly during the peak summer season.

Mark Warner Holidays, which leased apartment 5A from its private owner, a retired Liverpool teacher, struggled to restore confidence. Unlike their other resorts, the Ocean Club lacked a baby-listening service, a fact that drew criticism after the McCanns revealed they had left their children unattended to dine nearby. The company issued a statement expressing sympathy and cooperated with authorities, but the negative publicity was relentless. Graffiti reading “STOP McCann circus” appeared on stop signs around Praia da Luz, reflecting local frustration with the media frenzy and its economic toll.

Financially, the Ocean Club teetered on the brink. While Mark Warner’s broader portfolio cushioned the blow, the Praia da Luz property faced reduced occupancy rates for years. The 2008 global financial crisis exacerbated the resort’s woes, as disposable income for holidays dwindled. By 2010, the Ocean Club was operating at a fraction of its pre-2007 capacity, with some estimating losses in the hundreds of thousands of pounds annually. Unlike high-rise resorts in nearby Albufeira or Vilamoura, the Ocean Club’s low-key charm relied on its reputation for safety—a reputation shattered by the McCann case.

The Curious Case of Apartment 5A

Perhaps the most bizarre chapter in the Ocean Club’s post-2007 story is the phenomenon of tourists requesting to stay in apartment 5A, the very unit from which Madeleine vanished. After forensic teams completed their initial searches in June 2007, the apartment was shockingly returned to the rental pool. Two families stayed there in 2008—one for a week, another for a fortnight—before it was sealed off as a permanent crime scene. When the Portuguese investigation was archived in 2008, the apartment’s owner put it up for sale for £250,000, but its association with the tragedy deterred buyers. In February 2017, a British grandmother purchased it for £113,000, half the asking price, citing its affordability rather than its notoriety.

The new owner, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke to journalists about the deluge of requests she received from curious visitors. “I’ve been offered money by people from all over the world to stay in the apartment, but I’m not interested,” she said. “It’s not fair to the McCanns or the people of Praia da Luz to keep stirring this up. It’s terrible.” Despite her refusal, the apartment has become a macabre attraction for amateur sleuths and true-crime enthusiasts. Some guests, believing they could uncover clues overlooked by police, have requested to rent the unit, scrutinizing its layout, windows, and surroundings for hints of what happened that night.

This morbid curiosity extended beyond the apartment. In the years following Madeleine’s disappearance, “Luz Tours” emerged, offering guided visits to key sites, including apartment 5A, the tapas restaurant, and areas where police searched for evidence. Dubbed the “Luz Challenge,” these excursions invited participants to speculate on Madeleine’s fate, drawing condemnation from locals and the McCanns’ representatives. “It’s exploitative,” said a Praia da Luz resident. “People treat this like a game, but it’s a real tragedy.” The tours, reportedly organized by a British individual, have since dwindled, but the apartment remains a focal point for speculation.

A Crime Scene Compromised

The handling of apartment 5A as a crime scene has been a point of contention, fueling the curiosity of those drawn to it. Nelson Filipe Pacheco da Costa, a retired GNR officer present on the night of May 3, 2007, claimed the scene was deliberately rearranged. “There were many strange footprints that didn’t belong, and the scene was not preserved as it originally was,” he said in a 2025 interview. “Someone had tried to make it look like an abduction, but the evidence didn’t add up.” Up to 20 people, including resort staff, the McCanns’ friends, and bystanders, entered the apartment before it was secured, contaminating potential evidence. Bedding was handled, furniture moved, and the window shutters, initially reported as forced, showed no signs of tampering.

This chaos hindered the investigation. Forensic samples were compromised, with DNA traces from a “stranger” deemed inconclusive due to contamination. Kate McCann’s fingerprints were found on the window, but no clear evidence of an intruder emerged. The Portuguese police faced criticism for their slow response—roadblocks weren’t set up until 10 a.m. the next day, and motorway surveillance wasn’t requested. The Policia Judiciaria (PJ) took over at 2 a.m., but by then, vital clues were lost. “It was the worst-preserved crime scene I’d ever seen,” one officer remarked.

A Slow Recovery and Ongoing Stigma

Despite its struggles, the Ocean Club has avoided bankruptcy, thanks to Mark Warner’s financial backing and a gradual return of tourists. By 2015, occupancy rates began to recover as families, particularly older couples and winter visitors, returned to Praia da Luz’s serene beaches. The resort’s website now emphasizes enhanced security measures, including CCTV and gated entrances, though it remains less enclosed than competitors. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic posed a new challenge, halting tourism across Portugal, but the Ocean Club reopened later that year, capitalizing on “air bridge” agreements with the UK.

However, the stigma persists. The 2018 Netflix documentary “The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann” and renewed searches in 2023 and 2025, particularly around Christian Brueckner, a German convict named a suspect in 2020, have kept the case in the headlines. Brueckner, who lived near Praia da Luz and reportedly worked as a handyman at the Ocean Club, has been linked to the case through phone records and alleged confessions, though he denies involvement. These developments draw media back to the resort, reigniting local frustration. “It’s the case that won’t go away,” said British expat Julia Newbould, a 40-year resident. “People want closure, but every search brings the circus back.”

The Path Forward

For the Ocean Club, the challenge is to reclaim its identity as a peaceful retreat. Recent investments in renovations and community outreach, such as sponsoring local festivals, aim to rebuild trust. The LFC Foundation, inspired by the late Diogo Jota, has partnered with Praia da Luz to fund youth programs, drawing positive attention. Yet, the curiosity surrounding apartment 5A endures, with some guests discreetly photographing the unit or asking staff about its history.

Kate and Gerry McCann, who marked the 18th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance in 2025, continue their search, supported by over £13 million from the UK’s Operation Grange. “Our determination to leave no stone unturned is unwavering,” they said. For Praia da Luz and the Ocean Club, closure remains elusive. The resort survives, its poolside bustling with unaware holidaymakers, but the shadow of May 3, 2007, lingers—a reminder of a tragedy that reshaped a community and a family forever.