Starbucks Corp. announced this week that it will be providing single-serve coffee to half a million hotels across the US.

The latest deal will see Starbucks coffee delivered via Courtesy Products’ CVI one-cup brewing machine systems in 500,000 luxury hotels.

Starbucks has been making a string of announcements in the last few weeks indicating a strong interest in expanding their reach into the one-cup brewing market, currently dominated by machine-makers Keurig and Tassimo in the US.

Ubiquitous coffee brand Starbucks is to make its debut at sea on board a new cruise liner, the brand confirmed October 27.

The coffee chain is to open a store on board Royal Caribbean’s latest ship Allure of the Seas, which will share the title of the largest cruise liner in the world with its sister ship Oasis of the Seas when it launches this December.

Guests will be able buy everything they expect from a traditional land-based Starbucks on board the liner, with the company’s vice president Chris Carr saying that the ship is “another place where our customers want and expect us to be.”

Nestlé Nespresso has introduced the variety Tanzaru Limited Edition 2010.

Tanzaru Limited Edition 2010 features the flavors of Tanzanian Arabic coffees and the delicate and balanced taste of Peruvian Arabic coffees.

The coffee has bright citrus notes alongside a slight tartness of green tones adding unlimited freshness to the rich espresso.

Also for Tanzaru lineup, Nespresso introduces a collection of art cups sets designed by Christian Ghion and then developed by design group Onze Dixieme.

Japanese cafe chain operator Saza Coffee Co plans to sell Panama’s Esmeralda Especial coffee beans for 1,200 yen per cup ($18) starting Dec 2.

Saza is the first company in Japan to buy the high-quality beans through an auction by paying $117.50 per pound for the coffee.

And that is almost 100 times more than the cost of average coffee beans.

The Italian coffee company Lavazza has unveiled the 18th edition of its collectible calendar, shot by influential British photographer, Miles Aldridge.

The 2010 Lavazza calendar illustrates “The Italian Espresso Experience” through Italian music.

The 2010 Calendar, featuring six of the world’s most famous models, takes inspiration from six well known Italian songs, such as Nessun Dorma.

This special limited edition illy Art Collection was designed by renown Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar to coincide with the release of his latest film, Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces).