Kubernetes: Persistent Volumes versus HostPath for Stateful Applications?

Hey everyone, I'm trying to figure out the best way to handle state for some microservices we're running in Kubernetes. A few of them need to keep data saved. I've looked into Persistent Volumes and Persistent Volume Claims, which seems like the usual route. But, for simpler setups, especially if it's just one node, HostPath volumes look pretty easy because they're so direct. Has anyone had strong feelings or any crazy stories about using HostPath for apps that need state in a live environment? When is it a really bad idea compared to using the full PV/PVC system? I'm really interested in what you've all experienced and what you think is the best way to do it.