Not as exotic as some of the others, but I was with a small, struggling consulting firm in TX. I was based in NJ and had been flying in and out of DFW about once a month to work in TX for a week. They lost a major client so travel was cut to the bare minimum. Naturally, people started leaving.

One of my best employees resigned to take a job at a reinsurance company in Barbados. I cashed in some of my AA miles (earned on the job anyway!), checked into the nearby Hampton Inn and rented a car at my expense, and showed up at his farewell gathering at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I'd had to tell a few people since I came in early and wanted them to know where to reach me, but they were good about keeping quiet. The guy who was leaving was stunned and it was well worth the trip.