I completely agree with this phrase: choose a host who is familiar with your particular requirements and who is willing to sit down with you and discuss those requirements, as well as how the host can meet those requirements.
Before choosing a hosting company, make sure to look at their support system because some only offer a ticket system, which can take a long time to respond. A better option is to purchase an unmanaged server from anywhere and outsource your hosting support to a company like etechsupport, which specialises in providing outsourced hosting support services.