New-York tribune., 1919-12-31
Hotels i'm City
To 0Dre11ch 1920
With Free Wine
New Years Eve Celebra-
ton Promises To Be Cav
and Very over Despite
Efforts of Prohibiti0nists

Toni night-New Years Evc-promises
to be almost as wet as ever.
Despite prohibition 1920 will be
greeted with the click Of glasses full
not of pop soda and ginger ale, but of
Scotch highballs and real champagne
The supplies will come not only from
the bottles ION the hip" but from the
choicest casks in the wine cellars of
the large hotels. Liquor is to be served
at many Of the dinners with the COM
pllments of the management.
At the McAlpin one pint of cham
pagne will be set before each couple
partaking Of the $40 dinner. At the
Martinique the diners will have nip
of Scotch at the expense of the hotel
The Claridge will serve small bottle
OF wine. The Imperial will do the
same. The Waldorf will not announce
Its plans until this evening, and most
OF the other hotels are maintaining a
discreet silence
All Hotels Are Crowded
All of them are crowded. Reserva-
tions for to-night's celebration scarce
ly can be had Banquet halls, grill
rooms, special dining rooms, restau-
rants and cafes will all be taxed to
capacity. Prices have been advanced
but the demand still exceeds the SUP
ply. 1t is expected some Of the last
minute guests Will have to pay more
than S25 plate for ths privilege of
welcoming in the new year at some
of the large hotels.
Ten days ago hotel and cafe mana
gers were wearing the most dolcful
expressions. New Years Eve. usually
the best night OF the year. looked like
frost. But Suddenly the sentiment
changed. People decided to make the
best of it and started a rush on the
hotels, breaking all records - Little
wonder, then, the managers we're all
be&mlng yesterday afternoon, when,
afte~ tiye-hour meeting Of the Broad
way Restaurant Association at the IIo-
tel Astor, they came out and said that
they were not worrying about the New
Years EvS celebration.
Every public and private dining
room, including the big root gardens
and dance rooms, wiz be filled to over
flowing tonight with dancers and
merrymakers in the Waldorf Astoria
McAlpin, Claridge and McAlpin Annex
hotels, according to announcements
made by the managers. The hotels
around Pcrshing Square issued similar
reports. And although no liquor will
be sold, there Win be plenty OF it
flowing.
Special Charge fer Icing
Special service or corkage charges
haze been put on every bill OF fare
FOR icing, opening and pouring cham
pagne the Commodore will charge SO
for serving wines 81 and for separate
drinks % cents a glass. These prices
vary with the hotel, but some sort OF
provision for the service Of liquor
bought by the gucst has been made in
every hotel and cafe in town.
For those who do not wish to ir-
dulge in the more Intoxicating liquor
soft drinks a-plenty will be on tap
These will be sold. But the prices will
not be- much lower. than those for the
hard ,ffinks in the old days Non
alcoholic champagne will cost S4 bot
tie. Pop soda, ginger ale, lemon soda
and other similar beverages will cost 81
or 50 a bottle.
But the New Years Eve celebration
will not be confined to the hotels and
restaurants. Tickiers. paper hats and
rattles Will reappcar on Broadway. The
hawkers are rcplcnishing their old
stocks. They expect to reap harvest
toni ght