It depends. Do you like cultured marble? Do you like granite? What kind of granite can you choose from with the upgrade? What is the cost increase? What is the value of the home and what do comparable homes in your area have in the master bath?

For me personally, it would be worth it because I like granite, especially the mid/high tier levels, and my house is worth enough that the upgrade would be expected.

I have cultured marble in my bathrooms -- it's original to the house, which was built in 1970. Mine are not unlike this picture, though my sinks are shell-shaped, and I don't have the fancy edge:

Things I can say about them:

- In spite of being almost 50 years old, these countertops are in perfect condition. No stains, no chips.

- The sinks are integrated, meaning no seams to clean, no possibility of leaks.

- The sinks are too shallow, which means that water splashes back up at us. Of course, this may just be our particular sinks -- the sink in the picture above appears to be a nice depth.

- LIke the above picture, my sinks can only accept a small faucet ... whereas, I'd prefer a wide-set that would be easier to clean. If you choose cultured marble, it's almost certainly coming to you "as is", whereas with granite you can choose where you want the holes to be drilled.

- It's not a look that's trendy or cutting edge, but it also doesn't look "old" like tile or some other items could.

Would I put them in a new house? Yeah, I would. They wear like iron, and they're just kind of "plain". Plain stands the test of time.

Incidentally, I have the same material on the walls /ceiling of my shower. I do get soap scum and mold on the shower walls, but it's super-easy to wipe away. I think my showers are bad for this because they're small /have low ceilings and are enclosed with glass doors ... little air circulation.

I have a new cultured marble sink/countertop like the one Karen Rose posted. Love the wave sink and I have widespread faucet with a high spout. No splashing. And if you go with cm, don't do that recessed rim around the sink; very dated look/

I think your builder is giving you the cheapest choices; I have a colored cm and I love it.

And if you go with cm, don't do that recessed rim around the sink; very dated look/

I was thinking it looks practical because it'll keep water /spills close to the sink.

Cultured marble reminds me of a motel room bathroom. Granite (most) is bullet proof. Pick one you really like because it will last forever.

I had cultured marble in the bathrooms which I recently remodeled.

As was posted upthread, they were pretty low maintenance as they dated from 1965 and were still in excellent condition and I can assure you that they were abused.

The downside is that they do look plasticky IMO - It never entered my mind to keep them. I live in a high rise condo where most of the units have been remodeled and some owners actually just kept the original vanities and counter and changed the doors - or even just painted the existing doors.

As was also posted upthread, just stating cultured marble versus granite is a meaningless question because there are granites that are less attractive than cultured marble. In terms of maintenance, granite also tends to be low maintenance - especially the granites which tend to be offered by builders like Uba Tuba. :-).

I opted for granite in my guest bathroom (Black Galaxy) and marbled in my master bath (Honed French Vanilla).