Thank goodness it’s Friday! These long weeks after shorter holiday weeks are always draining, aren’t they? So to jump-start your weekend, here’s the 14Trips Week in Review with some of the world’s most interesting luxury travel tidbits uncovered by your tireless 14Trips staff. Which of these piques your interest most?

• A Luxury Travel Blog’s ‘Best of the Best’ merged the CondéNast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2007 and Travel+Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2007 polls. Their top-rated hotel across the globe for luxury and service is the Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur, India.

• Deck the halls with iGifts! From Gothamist: A new, two-story Apple Store will open in the Big Apple’s Meatpacking District on December 7th, just in time to fulfill your holiday gift wish list.
• Smoke get in your eyes in Berlin clubs? Gridskipper reports that a smoking ban looms in the German capital, so more hip venues are trying to clean the air now.
• Trump 24K Super Premium Vodka, labeled with 24-carat gold, was displayed at the Millionaire’s Fair in Moscow last week, via lifeontop. Do the rich get richer?
• And whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah or Kwanzaa, what does the “12 Days of Christmas” cost in today’s dollars? The amount might surprise you in this Vagablond story.

Winter in Tokyo is a veritable sukiyaki bowl of world-class shopping, cutting-edge fashion, and fast-paced tourism. This 14Trips deal includes the second night at the luxurious Peninsula Tokyo with their compliments when you reserve a spacious suite for a two-night stay at $629 per night before February 28, 2008. Now, doesn’t this sound more exciting than sitting around your tree, opening holiday presents?

Be prepared for some truly luxurious personal pampering. The five-star hotel is conveniently located in the prestigious Marunouchi business district, opposite the Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park. With each suite, the hotel offers complimentary Wi-Fi access, use of the fitness center and swimming pool, and much more.

Gentle reminder: Sign up now for our Thursday luxury travel alert to receive the best of 14Trips as an email, so you don’t possibly miss any of our great money-saving luxury travel deals.

Remember that Randy Newman song, “I Love LA”? You’ll really love Los Angeles with this deal from 14Trips, which includes one night’s accommodation at the Viceroy Santa Monica overlooking the Pacific Ocean, plus a day with a personal shopping guide, an evening massage, a welcome-back specialty cocktail, complimentary gift wrapping on up to five medium-sized packages, and even a one-hour foot and hand massage in the privacy of your room—all from just $589 per night.  A perfect getaway for the few weeks left before the holidays!

And if you haven’t yet done so, sign up now for our Thursday luxury travel alert to receive the best of 14Trips right in your email inbox!

Now for some breaking news… Every Thursday we post our luxury travel alert spotlighting our favorite 14 deals of the week. And this week is no exception, with deep discounts at the Renaissance Chancery Court London , a great deal at the posh, lux Intercontinental Moorea in French Polynesia, even free nights at the luxurious Peninsula Tokyo, plus 11 more terrific deals. Sign up to receive our newsletter and you’ll get these deals delivered right to your inbox every week!

Love to snap photos when you trot around the globe? 14Trips is now on Flickr! You can browse through our subscriber photos of exotic venues and lux accommodations on our new group, the 14Trips Photo Travelog. And while you’re there, don’t forget to add your own, because every Wednesday we’ll be selecting a photo from our pool to feature on the blog. Add a photo or two. Next week, we could be featuring yours!