We have travertine on the floor in two bathrooms, had travertine in the entryway from the garage, and only took that up when we tile the entire downstairs with a different travertine (re-tiled it for continuities sake, not because of wear). Yes, it can scratch or chip (our entryway tile had some minor scratches, but we've tracked stuff in from the garage, have slid boxes across the floor, had workers coming in and out through the garage while reno'ing various parts of the house, etc.). But, scratches and chips on travertine can often be repaired, whereas ceramic/porcelain tile cannot be. I have buffed out etch marks (using a green scrubby) on the honed travertine in the guest bathroom (former cleaning lady set the bottle of TB cleaner on the floor and it left a nice oval shaped etch right in front of the shower). I've used a tan/brown permanent marker to "color-in" scratches in our travertine as well (color, wipe off any excess with some paper towel or buff with some fine steel wool), and they disappear. Like allison0704 said, use a good sealer, and choose a decent quality stone, and you should be fine.

I Crema de marfil (sp) 12x12 tiles in my master bath. Love the looks of the floor when it was new and still do in some places. IMHO, with vanity chair, kids, dogs, cats, Make up, after shave, etc, it just did not hold up well at all in the heavy traffic areas. My daughter spilled nail polish remover and it ruined an area of the tile. The least expensive quote to repolish 80sf was $650. I'll retile with something more duable for that price than spend it on repolishing every so many years. It may work for some. It did not work for us. But it is pretty. Here are pics when it looked good

Thanks everyone for your comments. I decided yesterday to go with real marble for my master bathroom. In case it helps anyone who are in the same boat, here are my reasonings: 1) we live in our condo currently while our house is being built. Our condo has 2 full bathrooms with entirely marble floors, shower surround and countertops. We have been here for almost 5 years, never sealed or did anything different or special while using them (mostly out of ignorance. I never knew I had to treat marble any differently until I started buying tiles for my house). We have had guests use one often and cleaning lady clean our place. We use green products because we have kids and pets - no idea whether it is good for marble or not, but don't care at this point. We care more about our kids and pets. The marbles on the floor and counter (horizontal surfaces) are not in perfect condition, but I wouldn't say they are ruined by any means. I also know now that they can be refinished to look like new when I'm ready to sell our condo, so no big deal to me. The vertical surfaces (shower surround, walls, etc.) are still in fantastic condition. That's for 5 years with no sealing or special treatment. 2) After thinking about it, I think the amount of maintenance for marble is pretty hyped up, because of point #1. It's a bit unfair to expect to have no maintenance for any flooring you have, even porcelain. And as far as maintenance is concerned, sealing marble once a year is pretty miniscule as compared to other things related to the house. For example, your lawn need to be watered and mowed way more, but does that mean you shouldn't have a lawn or put in astroturf? My family and I are pretty laid-back and will not stress over etching or slight stains, because marble can be restored. So, if necessary, we will just restore it. However, seriously consider whether you will be stressed, and if you will, then maybe pass on marble. 3) The homes in my town are definitely still using marble in their baths, kitchens, foyer, etc., including the new constructions. So, really I think it's probably not that big of a deal to have it. People are still choosing it all the time. I have not had any concerns until I started tile shopping and reading about it online. Having marble in a home is a selling feature for homes in my area, not a decrement. It's highlighted in listings. Of course, I know not all buyers care for it and might even turn off ones who think it's high-maintenance, but it's not a concern at the moment. I like porcelain tiles for many reasons as well. I will be using it in my kid's bath (not faux marble-look, something more contemporary), and in other areas of my house. For me personally, I think having the look I want is more important. It's something that I have to use and look at every day, so if I'm not happy with the way something look, no amount of easy maintenance will make up for it.

@modom erica On the advice of Dragonfly, a tile and stone pro who posts often, I am using MB Stone & More. It also works to clean mirrors which eliminates any chance of someone spraying mirrors with something harmful to the surfaces. If you do a search on amazon, MB has a lot of products for the cleaning and maintenance of stone. MB Stone & More I use a non acidic toilet bowl cleaner. This type of cleaner is also recommended by Toto for their special finish. It is by Majestic Majestic Non Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner