I understand where you’re coming from. There are some pretty big threads discussing the pros and cons of smart switches vs smart bulbs. If you haven’t read those, that’s a good place to start. Also, some folks really love the Lutron solutions, especially the Pico remotes that can fit into a standard switch face-plate footprint.
That may provide a somewhat familiar physical ‘switch’ for users, while still being a completely ‘smart solution’. Not sure how you’d hide your old physical switches though, if you decide to keep them. As Mike Maxwell in the Hubitat forum about his current setup (Lutron Pico remotes with embedded aeon relays in place of his old switches.)
Personally, I believe guests will find smart switches much simpler to use than smart bulbs + tablets. People have muscle memory to reach for a physical switch to control lighting. Using a touchscreen may even require some people to put on glasses to make sure they tap the correct portion of the screen.
As for…
My GE Z-Wave switches all have an small air-gap switch embedded in them to allow for safe maintenance. Not sure if all switches have that feature though.