New Year’s Eve a la Robin Leach Gets Pricier

NEW YORK — Celebrating New Year’s Eve like the rich and famous is going to set you back more this year than last.

From a bottle of champagne to a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce to the Presidential Suite at New York’s Plaza Hotel, living it up this New Year’s Eve has gone up 7.25% over last year, according to the Dom Perignon Celebration index.

The champagne makers said that of the 12 items included in the annual index--the makings of a truly spectacular New York evening on the town--only the cost of four remained unchanged. None went down in price.

To start off, the price for a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce rose 20% to $1,200. Two tickets to see the New York City Ballet perform “The Nutcracker” rose 4% to $140, and a late-night supper at the Sign of the Dove restaurant rose 9% to $175.

No New Year’s Eve is complete without fireworks, and the cost of a 10-minute display by the famed Grucci family went up 19% to $25,000.

Toasting in the new year with a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne now costs 3% more at $90.

A professional makeup application at Elizabeth Arden today costs $35, up 17% over last year.

Of course, you have to sleep off the festivities, but a night in the Presidential Suite of the Plaza Hotel will cost 7% more than in 1995--now $15,000. Breakfast in bed will set you back 8% more at $35.

But not to fear, a new Armani tuxedo costs the same as it did last year--$2,100--as does a private reading with Vanity Fair astrologer Michael Lutin to see what the year has in store, at $200. A chronograph watch from Van Cleef & Arpels, to count down the seconds of the old year, still costs only $24,000.

Finally, a New Year’s resolution--perhaps to spend less next year--still doesn’t cost anything.