I do like the new "merge to HDR" in Lightroom. I do not like over processed HDR pictures. But I do like to use multiple exposures when you need more range. So I am not a HDR hater like so many nowadays. I believe many are haters because they dont know how to use the methods they hate.
People who has worked in a darkroom seems to believe in a limit for the digital post processing at the same place as the old darkroom.
People who never worked in Lightroom or some similar software seem to argue for no post processing at all.

And Lightroom do it in a moderat way that not destroys the quality in the photo that easy. Here are an old picture processed in Lightroom with "HDR merge".