I love HDR photography, almost all of my shots are some sort of HDR. I have found there are certainly good and bad ways of using it. I'd like to share some of my experience with it.
First and foremost the entire concept of HDR is to capture a range of light that is greater than the sensor is capable of handling. Many people use it for the surreal effect that is creates when pushed, which is fine, we are all entitled to our creative freedom. However I have found that when you actually take shots that have extreme range in it, then HDR shines the most.
See the above photo for a clear example, shooting into the sun is always going to be high contrast, either you expose for the highlights or the shadows, but not both. With HDR you can do it all, the sky above isn't blown out completely, and also the shadow of the back of the bench and buildings isn't clipped. Shooting with this in mind and knowing that you want to use HDR will always yield greater results.