Founded in 1970, grown into the island's biggest operator
De Krim Texel started in 1970 as a small initiative to bring more visitors to the north of Texel, with a single campsite in De Cocksdorp logging 28,598 overnight stays in its first year. Over the past 55 years, the company has grown into the island's largest leisure operator, adding parks, accommodations, a golf course, a hotel, and an event hall. The first manager couple, Mr and Mrs Monen, set a tone of hands-on hospitality back in 1969 that still motivates over 500 colleagues working at De Krim today.
Independent, locally rooted, and committed to Texel
De Krim has remained independent throughout its growth, with an ownership structure that protects it from national competitors and keeps it close to Texel society. Its stated values are hospitality, independence, and loyalty, and the memorandum of association explicitly commits to improving the livelihoods of Texel residents. That shows up in supplier choices, social personnel policy, support for cultural activities on the island, and investments in sustainability backed by Green Key Gold certification across most of the operation.
Why Maxxton sits at the centre of the operation
De Krim has used Maxxton's platform for years, including a digital guest survey that has been running since 2008. Over time, the platform has expanded across the full guest lifecycle, from destination marketing and lifestyle segmentation through preference-based booking to operations and revenue management, and out to post-stay feedback and re-engagement. The aim is consistent at every layer: take routine processes off staff so that human attention goes to the things only people can do.
Jolanda Kamphuis, Commercial Director, De Krim Texel
Running nine sites on an island, at scale
Fragmented guest issue reporting
At a busy holiday park, the same issue could be reported through three or four different channels: a guest might mention it to a maintenance worker, then call reception, then send a WhatsApp. Reports landed in different systems, and nobody knew who was actually handling them. As Jolanda Kamphuis puts it, "The receptionist thought maintenance was on it, maintenance thought housekeeping was dealing with it, and in the end, nothing got done."
- Issues logged across multiple unconnected channels
- Duplicate reports and lost ownership
- Frustrated guests, overwhelmed staff
Receptionists bogged down in admin
Receptionists were spending hours checking guests in, handing out keys, and answering the same basic questions. The work was slow and repetitive, and left little room for the personal interactions that De Krim wants to be known for.
- Repetitive front-desk work eating into the day
- Limited time for personal recommendations and guest conversations
- Initial scepticism from staff about whether self-service could work
Staffing pressure on an island
Texel is an island and that limits De Krim's ability to scale by hiring. Seasonal staff are not as easy to find at short notice as on the mainland, so the only way to maintain quality at peak periods is to make every process as efficient as possible. "We are on an island, and that means it's not always easy to find staff," says Jolanda. "That's why we have to grow in a smart, feasible way."
- Limited talent pool on Texel
- Difficulty matching mainland-style seasonal staffing
- High-quality bar to maintain across nine sites
Pricing on gut feeling and vacancy gaps that bled revenue
Before Maxxton's AI-supported tools, pricing was a constant balancing act of watching demand and tweaking numbers by hand. Cancellations led to lost revenue, and there was no real way to forecast demand or to fill the gaps cancellations created.
- Manual pricing decisions across nine sites
- Lost revenue when cancellations left gaps
- No reliable way to forecast or pre-empt vacancy
How Maxxton supports De Krim
Lifestyle segmentation and a multi-language CMS
De Krim's parks are each designed for a different traveller type, from "pleasure seeker" families at Holiday Park De Krim to nature-focused guests at the quieter parks in the south of Texel. Maxxton's CMS tool surfaces the right content, visuals, and search filters per market, which matters when 40% of guests are German and Dutch and Belgian visitors have different booking habits. The result is that the right guest ends up at the right park, with the right expectations, before a booking is even made.
Preference-based booking at unit level
Where external platforms only let guests book by accommodation type, Maxxton lets De Krim's guests book a specific unit on the direct channel. A couple looking for quiet can pick a chalet near the dunes, while a family can choose one near the playground and pool. The reservation system only shows units that match the criteria, so what guests see is what they get. "This helps provide the best match between guest expectations and reality," says Jolanda.
A centralised guest care system
Maxxton's centralised guest care system replaced the WhatsApp, reception phone, and tap-on-the-shoulder chaos with a single source of truth. When a guest reports an issue, every team can immediately see whether someone is already handling it, whether a part has been ordered, or whether an external supplier is involved. Housekeeping, maintenance, and reception now work from the same data in real time, and tasks land on smartphones as notifications rather than getting lost on paper.
Self-service check-in, keyless entry, and the guest portal
Self-service check-in, automated locks, and a guest portal have changed how the front of house operates. Guests skip the queue at reception, and receptionists get hours back to actually talk to guests. "Self-service check-in, automated locks, and guest portals have transformed the way we operate," says Jolanda. "Guests love the flexibility, and staff love that they can focus on things that actually make a difference in the guest experience."
AI-driven pricing across nearly all accommodations
Maxxton's AI-driven pricing engine adjusts rates in real time based on demand, across nearly all of De Krim's accommodations. Where staff used to watch demand and tweak numbers by hand, the engine picks up patterns faster than a person can. "It recognises patterns faster than I ever could, allowing us to adjust rates in real time based on demand," Jolanda explains.
The Reallocation Engine for vacancy gaps
Maxxton's Reallocation Engine spots availability that would otherwise have been invisible, by reshuffling existing reservations to make room for new bookings on seemingly unavailable dates. "Maxxton's system finds availability even before a booking on seemingly unavailable dates has been finalised. It's a major boost to revenue because we can fill gaps before they exist," Jolanda says.
Digital guest survey, NPS, and ranking by guest feedback
Since 2008, De Krim has been collecting guest feedback through a digital survey delivered by Maxxton. NPS scores feed straight back into the booking system at the accommodation level: best-rated accommodations show first, and when a guest books without a preference, a priority management system assigns one of the highest-rated units. The same feedback also guides investment decisions and operational improvements across cleanliness, reception, and hospitality in the restaurants.
Unified Inbox, with De Krim as the first user
De Krim is the first Maxxton client to use the Unified Inbox, a single interface that consolidates messages and notifications across channels. It includes secured access, message categorisation and routing, and SLA tracking on response times. The aim is straightforward: stop staff switching between apps so they can focus on the message that actually needs them.
Results: a holiday that feels effortless
Key takeaways
- 90% of bookings now direct, with returning guests recognised on the direct channel
- NPS scores average around 60% per park, with some accommodations at 70%
- AI-driven pricing has optimised revenue across nearly all accommodations
- De Krim is the first Maxxton client to roll out the Unified Inbox
A clear ladder to the direct channel
De Krim now takes 90% of its bookings directly, with just 10% coming through external platforms. Direct guests get free preference selection, the lowest-price guarantee, and a stay history that travels with them from one visit to the next. External platforms operate under a separate rate structure with a standard 7.5% markup, making the direct channel more attractive without relying on outside platforms for the relationship.
NPS scores that show the model works
NPS scores average around 60% per park, with some accommodations reaching 70%, an exceptionally high figure for the industry. The cleanliness of the California apartments recently hit 70%. Those scores feed straight back into the ranking system, so guests booking without a specific preference are automatically matched to the best-rated units.
Revenue optimisation across nearly all accommodations
Maxxton's AI-driven pricing has lifted revenue across nearly all of De Krim's accommodation types by adjusting rates in real time to match demand. The Reallocation Engine adds further uplift by filling vacancy gaps that would not previously have been visible, before cancellations even finalise.
Staff free for human moments
With routine tasks handled by self-service check-in, automated locks, and a centralised guest care system, receptionists, housekeepers, and technicians can focus on the work that benefits from a human touch. "When everything is in order, the job becomes more enjoyable. Staff have more time to interact with guests, provide better service, and focus on what makes their work meaningful, rather than constantly having to fix issues," says Jolanda.
Personalisation that follows the guest from search to return visit
From lifestyle segmentation at the top of the funnel, through preference-based booking, AI-recommended add-ons during the stay, and automated newsletters after departure, Maxxton supports De Krim across the full guest lifecycle. The cumulative effect is what the team calls "a holiday that feels effortless", which translates into return bookings and long-term loyalty.
A first-mover on Maxxton innovation
De Krim was the first Maxxton client to roll out the Unified Inbox, consolidating messages and notifications into a single interface with SLA tracking. The deployment fits a longer pattern of De Krim moving early with Maxxton on innovation, from digital guest surveys in 2008 to AI-driven pricing and, more recently, the Reallocation Engine.
Partner
Jolanda Kamphuis, Commercial Director, De Krim Texel
Jolanda Kamphuis is Commercial Director at De Krim Texel, where she has worked for nearly 20 years. She is responsible for all commercial activities, customer experience, and the company's digital innovations and projects, which puts her at the intersection of strategy and execution for everything that touches the guest. Under her leadership, De Krim has built a reputation as one of the more digitally mature independent leisure operators in the Netherlands, with a clear direct-booking strategy and a willingness to be first to deploy new platform capabilities.