Greenply water proof plywood + some nice veneer, Easily available + great looks..
First get the wall painted and waterproofed, secondly, put a sheet of plastic in between, better if glued to the wall, then screw the ply panels, and then get the veneer pasted/nailed..And then get it polished..
Only problem with veneer may be that if hit, it may chip and the brow board may be revealed, but the polisher can touch that up most times..
And yes, get the veneer sheets of the same lot, We got a lovely white veneer, and some sheets of the second lot that we got were of a slightly diff colour.
Also, When applying melamine, for a month or two ensure a steady supply of fresh air, else this leads to the panels becoming yellowish (again happened to us in a smaller cabin with zero ventilation except the ac..)
EDIT- While you are at it, before u close the wall, get some electric pipes in for cabling..And leave GI wires in them so u can pull the wires out the other end if/when needed..Else, it'l be a hell lot of work and expenditure..