I don't buy the cartridge bearing thing. Lots of good hubs made that way, but with proper maintenance, well packed, unless you are tailing a submarine, the Shimano hubs should give good service in touring aps. Cartridge bearings are replaceable, but even the road serviceable ones require some stuff I would prefer not to carry compared to a cone wrench. Most aren't road serviceable. That said, Phil hubs are a good choice if you are in that price range.
I don't know what was wrong with your wheel, but built of good components, stressed every way known, all spokes tested individually for tension, they should give high quality results. Just be sure whatever spoke brand you use comes credibly recommended for the hub you are choosing. One simple way is to just copy what Peter White uses.
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com. But most good stores can tell you what works. Just make sure they have experience in your kind of use. My local store does a lot of touring and courier work and know what holds up.