I am very sorry you lost your phal collection. For me, it was black rot, mostly with the cattleyas. I didn't lose all of them but enough that I haven't felt inclined to buy any new cattleyas since the 'black plague'.
I had mostly species but I had a few hybrids as well. one I had pretty much since I started growing orchids. It was one of the first ones that I did not kill and it was the plant that told me I can grow them. I like hybrids that are strongly species influenced in growth habit scent and flower shape I also like the classic whites. Who couldn't