Two options of reality here:

1. ZAZA planted the story themselves. I had never heard of ZAZA Hotel before, and would have never heard of it without this story. I am sure this story is going viral as we speak.
This option seems most likely, because if there truly was a secret room, how would it have been rented out? By mistake? Not plausible. It would likely require a password to rent that room. Also consider: if you were using a secret room to film snuff films and/or have underage prostitutes, extreme bondage, etc.....would a hotel room with hundreds of potential witnesses be the best place to house the secret room? Which does however, lead one to consider the concept of 'hiding in plain sight' to blend in, appear innocuous, etc.

2. This room did somehow get rented by mistake (or someone broke in, or snuck in, and used the accidental booking as a coverstory.) The hotel staff is attempting to make cover for the room by throwing together a cover story. I checked the hotel's website, and indeed they do offer and advertise their themed rooms (called Concept Rooms on their site) but they curiously do NOT market this "Hard Times" room. Quite curious the skull images, and the room 322, which is absolutely linked to Yale University's Scull and Bones. The photo of the middle aged executive is bizarre beyond belief and does not square with the rest of the entire room's decor.



The more I ponder this story, the deeper the rabbit hole appears.

I am going to need more tools than just Occam's Razor to figure this one out....