We can also run hot seat games, but a lot of them. Like 5-6 of them simultaneously. It's easy to play all turns in one session(have to reload civ5 each time though).
It's an option. But I think hotseat game offers different taste as the game goes on. In hotseat game, my game play is well thought and optimized for every detail. In synchronous game, I have to make quick decisions, which may be less optimal but still fun to be able to regret and learn from mistakes.