We have Uba Tuba which is very dark in a small 2nd bathroom. I don't find it to be a problem at all. I do like to keep water splashes wiped up, but would on any colour.

I have CS raven in our powder room. It definitely shows a lot of water spots. I don't find it hard to keep clean but I also don't let it go too long without wiping the counters down b/c the spots are quite noticeable after a short time.

I have soapstone in our primary bathroom. From the perspective of the surface color, I don't feel it's overly bad. It shows a few flakes here and there, but a quick wipe takes care of things. I feel like it is less fussy than a highly polished granite.

I'm not entirely sold on the soapstone nuances. I do oil it periodically, but have trouble understanding if it is actually 'clean' and am unsure what to clean it with besides water. It shows water rings, or even dry rings (eg, set my clean coffee cup on it to get ready, there will be a ghost shadow of a ring when I leave).

Black pearl granite in master bathroom. Don't find it particularly difficult to maintain. My main concern would be whether you like the look. I happen to like the dark countertop and am still very happy with our choice.

We have black granite in our kitchen -- which is a space that obviously accumulates more detritus than a powder room -- and it's appearance is not an issue. I actually like the fact that it's easier to see stuff that needs to be cleaned up. On the other hand, the variegated granite in our master bathroom makes it harder to see things (including lost earring backs and dropped pills), so it's probably filthier at any given time than the kitchen. :-)

Hmm. Thanks everyone. Lots of opinions to consider. Still not sure whether to go with it or not. I love the look, but It would only get cleaned once a week at the most, and sometimes less. hmm. Maybe I WOULD clean it more just because seeing water spots or soap residue would drive me crazy.