New York, NY, Oct. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This independent investigative report examines a pattern of factual and ethical failures in the reporting of Ethan Rothstein, Deputy Managing Editor at Bisnow. Through detailed analysis of his published work from 2023–2025, as well as Bisnow’s own public corrections and relevant court filings, this report finds repeated inaccuracies, omissions, and lapses in journalistic integrity. These issues culminated in the misleading coverage of LuxUrban Hotels Inc., where Rothstein’s reporting ignored clear, verifiable facts contained in public filings and created an inaccurate public narrative.
Court records demonstrate that LuxUrban did not process guest bookings or payments directly, instead relying entirely on third-party Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Booking.com and Expedia. This crucial fact, confirmed in bankruptcy filings, was omitted from Rothstein’s reporting, leading readers to believe that LuxUrban itself stranded guests or withheld refunds—an assertion unsupported by evidence.
The recurring pattern of misrepresentation, corrections, and missing context across Rothstein’s body of work raises significant concerns about both individual journalistic conduct and Bisnow’s editorial oversight. The findings suggest systemic breakdowns in fact-checking, verification, and ethical accountability that have undermined public trust.
⸻
I. The Pattern of Neglect in Reporting
In October 2025, Bisnow published an article by Ethan Rothstein titled “LuxUrban Hotels To Liquidate As Bankruptcy Claims Surpass $123 Million.” The article framed the company’s bankruptcy as a collapse driven by external creditors, depicting abandoned hotels, unpaid taxes, and stranded guests.
However, bankruptcy court filings from the Southern District of New York tell a very different story. They show that LuxUrban’s management voluntarily consented to convert the case from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7 at the request of the U.S. Trustee, not as a result of lender coercion. The same records confirm that the hotels were not “abandoned” but transferred under court supervision to a Chapter 7 trustee for orderly liquidation.
The most glaring omission, however, lies in how Rothstein ignored LuxUrban’s publicly documented operating structure. In a sworn declaration filed with the court, LuxUrban’s Chief Financial Officer explicitly stated: “The Debtors are not the merchant of record for guest transactions; all bookings and payments are processed through third-party Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).” This means that LuxUrban never directly charged guests, held their money, or issued refunds—those responsibilities belonged entirely to the OTAs.
By neglecting to include this central fact, Rothstein’s story misled readers into believing that LuxUrban directly stranded paying customers. In reality, those guests’ transactions, payments, and refund processes were managed by the third-party OTAs through which they booked. The failure to acknowledge this not only distorted the company’s conduct but also unfairly shifted public blame.
This omission transforms what should have been a factual account of bankruptcy procedure into a sensationalized narrative of negligence. It reveals a disregard for the primary role of a journalist: to accurately reflect the record and provide fair, verified information.
⸻
II. Broader Pattern of Misstatements and Omissions
The LuxUrban coverage fits within a broader pattern of reporting errors and omissions across Rothstein’s career at Bisnow.
In June 2024, Rothstein co-authored “LuxUrban Faces $83M Lawsuit From REIT As More Landlords Try To Evict ‘WeWork for Hotels.’” A quote was wrongly attributed to hotelier Richard Born via text message, prompting a correction the next day: “A previous version of this article misattributed a quote to Richard Born via text message. The quote has been removed.” This is not a trivial mistake. Misattributing quotes—particularly in litigation coverage—represents a fundamental lapse in journalistic verification.
Similarly, in November 2024, his article on the sale of 799 Broadway initially miscredited the outlet that broke the story, requiring a correction to acknowledge Commercial Observer as the original source. In July 2023, another Bisnow article misstated the date of an investor communication, also requiring correction.
Beyond these formal corrections, several of Rothstein’s pieces present allegations as fact. In the LuxUrban coverage, claims of “hazardous conditions” at hotels were lifted directly from a creditor’s motion, presented to readers without indicating that these were unproven allegations. In another Bisnow feature on opioid addiction in the construction industry, editors later added a note admitting that the publication “was unable to independently verify” the claims reported.
When considered collectively, these examples show more than isolated errors—they suggest a pattern of haste over accuracy and a tendency to prioritize dramatic narratives over balanced reporting.
⸻
III. Editorial Oversight and Institutional Responsibility at Bisnow
While Rothstein’s byline appears on each story, accountability must extend to Bisnow’s editorial leadership. Each piece passes through multiple levels of review before publication. The consistent presence of factual and contextual inaccuracies implies that systemic editorial failures allowed these errors to persist unchecked.
Bisnow brands itself as a leading source of business intelligence for the real estate industry, yet this reputation depends on factual integrity. When its deputy managing editor repeatedly publishes stories requiring correction or lacking essential context, the problem is not merely individual—it is institutional.
The editorial team’s failure to verify the LuxUrban narrative is particularly concerning. The company’s public filings, accessible through PACER, explicitly outlined its OTA-based revenue model. Any competent editorial review would have identified the discrepancy between the article’s claims and the documentary record. The fact that no correction was ever issued—despite clear contradictions in the public record—demonstrates an abdication of editorial responsibility.
The Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics obligates reporters and editors alike to “take responsibility for the accuracy of their work” and to “correct errors promptly and prominently.” Bisnow’s silence following publication of the disputed LuxUrban articles stands in stark contrast to these ethical standards.
By failing to provide readers with accurate context—especially on matters involving bankruptcy, litigation, and financial implications—Bisnow’s leadership compromised its credibility and failed the public trust that journalism demands.
⸻
IV. Conclusions and Recommendations for Accountability
This report finds substantial evidence of repeated factual errors, omissions, and editorial failures in Ethan Rothstein’s reporting at Bisnow. The findings include:
1. Recurrent Omission of Verifiable Facts: Rothstein’s LuxUrban coverage ignored the company’s OTA-based booking and payment system, a central fact available in court filings.
2. Repeated Post-Publication Corrections: His work over the past two years has required multiple public corrections for misattribution, misidentification, and timeline inaccuracies.
3. Lack of Editorial Safeguards: Bisnow’s failure to review or correct high-impact stories indicates structural deficiencies in its editorial process.
4. Public Impact: These inaccuracies misled readers, damaged reputations, and eroded confidence in both individual and institutional credibility.
Recommendations:
• Bisnow should initiate a comprehensive editorial audit of all reporting under Rothstein’s direction within the past 24 months.
• The company should issue a formal correction to its LuxUrban coverage, clarifying that LuxUrban did not process customer bookings or payments directly.
• An independent media-ethics review should assess whether Bisnow’s editorial standards meet professional norms of accuracy and fairness.
• Bisnow should implement mandatory verification procedures for all financial or legal reporting prior to publication.
This report concludes that the pattern of misreporting and lack of corrective transparency constitute an ongoing risk to journalistic integrity. Bisnow’s leadership must take responsibility for systemic oversight failures that have enabled inaccurate, misleading, and incomplete reporting to reach the public unchallenged.
⸻
Appendix: Supporting Evidence and References
Court Filings and Public Records:
• In re LuxUrban Hotels Inc., U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, Case No. 25-12000.
• Debtor’s Consent to Conversion Motion (Oct. 18, 2025).
• Declaration of CFO confirming OTAs as merchants of record.
• Trustee Appointment Order (Oct. 21, 2025).
Public Statements:
• LuxUrban CFO statement confirming OTA responsibility for payments, refunds, and customer communication.
• The Capital Link (Oct. 24, 2025) analysis of mischaracterizations in Bisnow’s coverage.
Bisnow Articles and Corrections:
• “LuxUrban Hotels To Liquidate As Bankruptcy Claims Surpass $123 Million” (Bisnow, Oct. 23, 2025).
• “Justice Department Cites ‘Gross Negligence’…” (Bisnow, Oct. 13, 2025).
• “LuxUrban Faces $83M Lawsuit…” (Bisnow, Jun. 5, 2024) — Correction issued Jun. 6.
• “Savanna Buys 799 Broadway…” (Bisnow, Nov. 19, 2024) — Correction acknowledging source attribution.
• “CrowdStreet Seeks Takeover…” (Bisnow, Jul. 23, 2023) — Date correction Jul. 24.
Ethical Standards:
• Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics (2014): Emphasizes accuracy, context, and transparency.
Independent Analyses:
• The Capital Link (Oct. 30, 2025): “Mischaracterizations in Coverage of LuxUrban’s Bankruptcy: A Factual Review.”
• SEC Form 8-K filings (2025 Q3): Confirm OTA-based booking and payment structure.
⸻
Prepared independently for public transparency and accountability, October 2025. All information contained herein is derived from public records, verified filings, and published corrections. This report evaluates journalistic practices, not personal character, not to be construed as legal advice we are not attorneys.
Mariana Brodsky CEO The Capital Link 2144225414 mariana-at-thecapitalink.com
