Your contractor is loopy. Steel is the low end of the tub world. Now if he actually means cast iron, that's another story. But there is nothing wrong with a nice acrylic tub as long as you don't scrub it with Comet or other abrasives.

Holly, thanks for the honesty. His answer confused me, because I had been looking online enough to believe that acrylic tubs are actually very nice--and typically superior--to steel tubs.

I've spent the evening searching for a "quality steel bathtub." Kaldewei makes some beautiful ones, but availability is a concern. They are much more expensive than the Edenton, and the bottom of the tub is somewhat narrow.