Well....I'm no expert. But I've lived with both laminate and hardwood. Plus, I've lived in areas with lots of sand, dirt, dogs/cats, hard use....
From that perspective... my vote is for good (not pine) hardwood floors IF your particular circumstance, sub floor and climate allow for it.
In my opinion, hardwood has the following major advantages...
Point #1: Lasts Well, Handles Normal Wear - I have learned that laminate does not last. It shows wear very easily. Scratches and wear from sand being tracked into houses will be hard on any floor, but with laminate, there's nothing under the initial finish. HW is more forgiving and tougher. Because it's a solid surface material, any scratches are easily handled.
Point #2: Damages Are Fixable - I don't know if all laminate floors are similar in composition, but I've seen burn marks from carelessly dropped cigarettes on Pergo at a friends house. They cannot be sanded out. I've also seen a lady friend attempt to clean her laminate floor using regular floor cleaners (ditzy girl) and she ruined her laminate, took the shine off, some of color, buckled it, etc. In contrast, I put a 3/4" wide and 1/2" deep ding on my oak hardwood (dropped a smithing hammer on it) and all I had to do was steam treat that spot a bit, hand sand around it and re-Polyurathane it. I can still see a slight dimple, but it's barely noticable. Can't fix that with a laminate.
Point #3: Re-finishable - In contrast to laminates, real hardwood floors have depth. If you have a problem, it can be sanded out and refinished in that spot. If you've had it for 50 years and not taken care of it- you can have the whole thing sanded down and refinished.
Point #4: Comfortable - you can tell the difference in simply walking on a true hardwood floor or a laminate. The feel is different. True wood floors over your substrate actually have a bit more give as you walk on them, more sound absorbtion, spring - ask any ballet dancer why they only practice on true wood... Laminates, are a thin material over the substrate. And if that underflooring is concrete or some other hard surface, you'll get more tired and your feet will feel fatigued from just standing on a laminate floor over long periods.
Point #5: Bare Feet in Winter! - Laminate feels colder... hardwood feels warmer on cold winter days. lol
Point #6: Laminate will buckle and be destroyed with water damage. Hardwood will swell, but in most cases of spot damage, can be sanded down, filled, and sealed. The laminate you've got to replace. Of course, if you've got a flood... nothing is safe.
Point #7: Easier To Patch - We had to have small areas of hardwood replaced in our house - so the contractor ripped out the few boards and replaced them with new oak ones. Everything was stained and sealed.... can't tell the difference. I'm not sure you can do that with laminate. Laminate actually fades over time, and so even if you kept a few pieces... after you cut out the damage and replaced it, it might not match.
Point #8: More Surface Interest - Hardwood is literal boards abutted to each other. There is some amount of surface variance - which makes for better traction over all. On laminates, it's all smooth on the board piece. If you like to run and slide like Tom Cruise - then laminate is great. If you're concerned about keeping on your feet - then hardwood has slightly better traction, without being 'rough'.
hum...
One note: There is a difference between engineered hardwood floors and 'real' all wood, hardwood floors. In certain climates or laid over certain sub floors, it may be better to use an engineered hardwood floor instead. There are different grades. Not all the advantages I've mentioned about hardwood floors apply to engineered hardwood. But, I'm not an expert on it. I've never lived with engineered hardwood floors, although I'm considering putting one in over some damaged terazzo. In that application and in my particular setting, a true hardwood floor is not recommended. Best to check it out. Read the literature carefully, and assume nothing...