This is often discussed. Many, many people have hardwood floors in their kitchens. The thing to remember is: wipe up spills inside of 5 minutes. Sweep/vacuum weekly and only use mild cleaning protocols (very ligthly damp cloth = water only) as a wet cleaning option. I would stay away from bamboo. It has a VERY DIFFICULT time in humid areas of the world. The other 'exotics', as we refer to the non-North American species, do very well because they have a higher oil content = slightly better water repulsion properties.

A solid hardwood floor, in a home, can last 70-100 years. It requires maintenance, but in essence it is a relatively easy floor to deal with. Tiles = 30 - 40 years with breakage to be expected (ALWAYS purchase 20% more than you need = 3 decades of "replacement" tiles).

The choice is yours, if you like hardwood, then go for hardwood.

thank you...this was very helpful!