When we redid our long, narrowish galley kitchen and adjacent laundry room we also used 12x24 tiles. I could have gone either way since our surrounding wood floor is on a diagonal. Our tile guys recommended it go lengthwise (bowling alley) saying that is how they would lay hardwood in the room. I laid tile out both ways and agreed with them. I think the only time you get the "it makes the room look wider" is when it's laid on the diagonal. Can you lay some tile out in both directions next to the hardwood? Personally, I think it looks better going in the same direction as the wood floor, but it's really a personal preference. BTW, our tile is laid in a 3/4 offset pattern like in your last picture.

If you are working with wood-joist construction, then you must run the wood perpendicular to the joists. If this is concrete construction, then you run the LONG edge of the planks in the same direction as the LONG RUN of the condo. Without knowing how your condo is built, that's as much advise as we can give. Photos would help.

The only reason it matters would be if your room is way out of square. A little either way, a contractor can fudge by spacing the tiles a bit farther apart to make up the difference, but if it's off a lot, it could look better in the end if the tiles are run 90 degrees to the unsquare wall. If your room is reasonably square, then it's up to you..you have to look at it every day, not the installer!

Is this solid wood flooring or engineered? Solid wood should be laid perpendicular to the joist. I believe engineered can be laid anyway - the installation is different for different wood floors. Installation over a slab needs certain requirements depending on the type of flooring. Do some online homework about how to properly lay your specific product.