In addition to the answers you receive here, you might also try posting on the Home Decorating forum. What color is the flooring? Can you post a photo?

I love hardwood floors, but for budget, installation, and maintenance reasons, we're putting laminate throughout most of the downstairs. We found a beautiful handscraped style where each plank is actually separate, not just a picture like some. We've been getting tons of compliments on the floors, and it's not even complete yet. Laminate is very easy to DIY (I've done three rooms already almost by myself), sounds fine with a good underlayment, and holds up perfectly to pet toenails (our 50 lb dog had put a lot of "patina" on the 90 year old heart pine floors in our last house)! In our nice but older neighborhood, hardwood floors would not have been a good return on the money. But if you can afford it, it's wonderful ;-)

Thought you might enjoy this article Rugs in Tropical Climates. Here's a little blurb from the article... ...Wool is a natural fiber. It breathes, like all natural fibers. Unlike man-made carpets and rugs made from petroleum and oil-based products, wool does not react to heat and humidity like plastic products. Wool fiber can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture vapor without feeling damp. So, at times of high humidity, wool absorbs moisture and then releases this moisture again when the atmosphere is dry, acting as an atmospheric buffer. In conditions of high humidity, generally found in the tropics, invariably it is the carpet backing that is first affected by mildew, mold, or fungus. Wool fiber is naturally quite mildew resistant, especially as it will tend to have a relatively low pH acid level. Backings for all carpets can now be treated to avoid the mold and mildew problems experienced in the past.

@sbp59 - It's all about what you want?!? Really? That comment is beyond useless. If that was true then this forum would not exist. OP, sure, go for whatever you want. Don't worry about water, soap scum, cleaners, sealing, water stains, friction, dirt or style. It's all about what you want, and if you want it, then it's all good. Same for all aspects of home life, including architecture and construction. Just want it and we'll all buy in to your query.