Relationships and best interest

A colleague told me she went for a holiday with her family. They stayed in a hotel where she is a Platinum card holder where it allows you to use their lounge. However, the rule of the lounge is a member can bring only one person with her. However, she has 6 of them. When the lounge manager refused to let her in, she counted her days with the hotel, and how much she gave the business to them. Eventually, the manager let the whole family in, to me this is because the hotel understand the importance of the "relationship". Today, a partner could not deliver some important information to her. That was due to some business complications. We were told we follow the book, if they don't give, we penalised them. The partner tried very hard to explain the situation, but when you don't have evidence, we follow the book. Now that's what I see as my own best interest, and where is the relationship? When human is put in a situation, often, they only look after their interest. Relationship? what relationship?