Marble Floors

I stand by my statement. While marble can, indeed, be polished, it is much softer than good quality tile. Ceramic tile comes in various degrees of hardness/quality. Firing temperature has a lot to do with it. High-fired clay with a good glaze will last longer than marble because the glaze is glass and is impervious to staining. Marble can certainly look very attractive but, as stated elsewhere, does require regular maintenance. I had entertained using Mexican terra cotta tiles in the house in Zihua, because I liked the appearance, but settled on good quality, high-fired tile, instead , since I didn't want to deal with the regular upkeep required. The only problem we've had is some of the tile came loose, but that was the result of incompetent installation.