I have both. Hardwood floor

on the main floor and the second floor, laminated throught out in the basement. Hardwood floor definitely looks much nicer. As of maintenance, I used to use damp mop (just with water, note just damp, not wet) to clean my floors. Now I hire cleaning service. I noticed they use some product designed specially for hardwood floor to wipe, doesn't seem to be difficult.

By the way I think you should be able to find better deal for installing either hardwood or laminate. I bought laminate flooring from Costco, $21.95/box with coupon, ($26.95 without), about 17.5sqft/box. Good quality. It is really a DIY project when it comes to installation, if you opt to hire a professional, I think you should be able to find someone with $1/sqft.

I don't remember how much we paid for the hardwood exactly, but definitely not more than $6/sqft including both wood and installation fee. We picked Oak in Century Band, Elite grade (highest). It is pre-finished. Some people still prefer the finish-onsite type which requires sand and paint after install. I think it is too much trouble.

I suggest you to go with hardwood at least on the main floor. If it is right on concrete, engineered wood would be a good choice.