Indigo Road Hospitality Group has appointed Catherine Woods as its new chief marketing officer, bringing in a 16-year marketing veteran whose résumé runs through Belmond, the LVMH-owned luxury collection, and most recently Beemok Hospitality Collection.

The Charleston-based hospitality operator, founded in 2009, said Woods will report directly to founder and chief visionary officer Steve Palmer. Her remit stretches across IRHG's full portfolio — restaurants, hotels, bars, coffee shops, private membership clubs, event venues, and lifestyle experiences — and covers brand development, integrated marketing, public relations, partnerships, and programming.

What does Woods bring to IRHG?

Sixteen-plus years of corporate marketing and brand strategy, paired, the company says, with a focus on measurable business results. She held leadership roles at Belmond and served most recently as vice president of marketing for Beemok Hospitality Collection. Her collaboration list reads like a luxury-and-hospitality credit roster: American Express, Resy, Daniel Humm Hospitality, Over the Moon, Krewe, Jenni Kayne, Schumacher, and Wölffer Estate.

That mix matters for an operator with IRHG's structure. A marketing chief who arrives with LVMH-credentialed brand instincts and a track record executing activations alongside restaurant partners like Resy can move between hotel and F&B marketing without losing either audience.

Why a CMO hire, and why now?

IRHG didn't frame the move as a response to any single market pressure. But the portfolio's breadth argues for the hire. The company owns, operates, and manages concepts across the United States, knitting together award-winning restaurants, bars, and food-and-beverage-driven boutique hotels under one roof of brand stewardship.

"Every concept has its own identity, and that individuality is part of what makes each experience special," Palmer said. "Catherine is a creative and talented marketer who understands how to elevate that individuality through strong marketing strategies while keeping sight of the business behind the brand. That combination is incredibly valuable as we continue to invest in both our individual brands and The Indigo Road Hospitality Group."

What does Woods say about the move?

Woods cast her decision in the operator-friendly language of people and place.

"I was drawn to The Indigo Road Hospitality Group because it's a company with a strong sense of purpose and a genuine commitment to its people and the communities it serves," Woods said. "There's tremendous opportunity to build on that foundation."

What does this change for IRHG?

Practically, the appointment gives Palmer a marketing principal with both luxury-hotel polish and restaurant-adjacent brand-building chops — a combination that suits a portfolio where a single guest can move from a coffee counter to a hotel lobby to a bar concept without leaving the company. Woods inherits the task of strengthening every property's identity while raising the parent group's profile, a dual brief that gets harder as concept count grows.

For IRHG's operators and brand managers, the near-term signal is continuity rather than disruption. The next test for Woods will be whether she can translate that dual mandate into check counts, covers, and revpar lifts across a portfolio that spans hotels, restaurants, and members-only venues — and do it while Palmer keeps the title of chief visionary officer.