My opinion is tile is the way to go. I would recommend Porcelain tile as it is more dense and stronger than a ceramic tile. There is a rating system called the "PEI" for porcelain tile. The PEI rating will show the strength and density of the tile:

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Group 0: Tiles technically unsuitable for floors. These are generally used as wall tile.

Group 1 or PEI 1: Tiles suitable only for locations where softer footwear is worn or where shoes are not frequently used, for e.g., residential bathroom or other areas with light traffic. Also for interior commercial and residential walls.

Group 2 or PEI II: Tiles suited for general residential traffic. For areas that are walked on by soft soled or �normal� footwear with very small amounts of scratching dirt. Not for kitchen, entrance halls, stairs and other areas subjected to heavy traffic.

Group 3 or PEI 3: Tiles suited for all residential and light commercial areas such as offices, reception areas, boutiques, interior walls, countertops and residential bathroom floors. Not recommended for commercial entryway.

Group 4 or PEI 4: Tiles suited for regular traffic. Recommended for medium commercial and light institutional use, such as restaurants, hotels, hospital lobbies and corridors.

Group 5 or PEI 5: Tiles suitable for areas with heavy traffic, abrasive dirt and moisture, and where safety and maximum performance are required. Examples are shopping malls, public buildings, building entrances, swimming pools, or shopping centers.
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taken from
http://flooring.builddirect.com/Porcelain-Tile/Ceramic-Tile-Articles/How_is_Porcelain_Tile_Rated_for_Hardness.aspx

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Advantages of Porcelain Tile Flooring

Porcelain tile flooring can easily endure heavy foot traffic at both residential and commercial locations while not reducing its color and beauty! It is used for many decorative and functional purposes but regarded as an ideal choice for flooring applications. Some of the advantages of porcelain tile flooring are mentioned below:

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Porcelain tile is both harder and denser than many other ceramic tile products
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Porcelain tile is frost-resistant, and often frost-proof
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Porcelain tile is highly resistant to stain, scratch, and moisture
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Porcelain tile is a hard wearing material which is resistant to harsher cleaning agents, scratches, stains, fading, heavy loads and fire.
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Porcelain tile is available in glazed as well as unglazed varieties.
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It is strong and long-lasting.
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It can be easily installed in heavy traffic areas (Group 4 and 5).
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Porcelain tile flooring is aesthetically pleasing.
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It has a high breaking strength. Porcelain contains less clay and more feldspar (a mineral). It�s also pressed at a higher pressure.
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Porcelain tile flooring has low water absorption. Therefore, less staining occurs on these floors and they are easier to clean.
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Porcelain tile flooring offers a wide range of colors and textures, and many different designs and styles. Professionals can produce an accurate recreation of the look of natural stone, granite, slate, travertine, limestone, marble, quartzite, terracotta and even woods and metals.
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Porcelain tile flooring can be easily maintained. For this reason it is a practical choice for flooring in any room in the house as it needs no polishing, waxing, or sealing, and can be cleaned easily with a damp mop.

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taken from:
http://flooring.builddirect.com/Porcelain-Tile/Ceramic-Tile-Articles/Advantages_of_Porcelain_Tile_Flooring.aspx

Cracking problems in a tile floor is due to poor sub floor installation. If the sub floor is not strong enough (to thin and/or nailed down instead of screwed down) it will cause movement in the floor and it is the movement that can cause the grout to crack or the tiles themselves to crack. Also using an improper tile can cause problems as well, i.e. using a tile meant for wall installation for floor use. A good sub floor is two layers of 5/8 tongue and groove plywood. These layers should be screwed down with two inch wood screws. You should screw down directly into the floor joists every two inches and every four inches over the rest of the sub floor.

Some issues I have with laminate floor in a kitchen or bathroom. Water and moisture are the main issues. You can buy a water barrier glue to use when you install the laminate, however to me this is not a good enough way to secure the floor against water and moisture. There are different grades and qualities of laminate floor. Laminate floor is a product along the line of, you get what you pay for. In my opinion Armstrong is the best choice for laminate floor. Armstrong's choice of color and pattern is very good as well as the construction process they use (heat AND pressure) ensures a top quality product.

I have cited sources I trust and line up with what I learned from a journeyman carpenter/home builder. Also I did the flooring myself in my entire house. I will look for some good online resources.
Source(s):
http://www.armstrong.com/resflram/na/home/en/us/
http://www.rona.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentServlet?assetId=29680&a...
http://flooring.builddirect.com/Porcelain-Tile/Ceramic-Tile-Articles/How_is...
http://www.builddirect.com/Porcelain-Tile/Ceramic-Tile-Articles/Basic_subfl...
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DisplayTemplate?storeId=1...


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