Nick Skelton's holiday heaven and hell I've stayed in some lovely hotels due to my work. However, if I had to pick my favourite, it would be the Mina A'Salam in Dubai. The resort is made up of three grand boutique hotels that are linked by waterways and decorated in Arabian style. The service is unbeatable and the hotel has everything you need for a great holiday, including a beautiful pool overlooking the waterways and a state-of-the-art gym. Good weather. You could be staying in the best hotel in the world but if the weather's bad it ruins everything, especially if you're planning to do some sightseeing. I also enjoy good food and drink and a comfy bed. I always take my phone and iPad. I don't believe in working while I'm on holiday but I like to check my emails each day in case there's something urgent that needs to be dealt with and it saves time when you get back. Apart from that, I like to take some books with me, particularly autobiographies of famous sports personalities. Keep luggage to the absolute minimum. There's nothing worse than packing too much and coming back with clothes that haven't been worn. Also, try to avoid wearing items with metal, particularly belts, as it invariably causes delays at the security area. Where do you want to go to next? I would love to visit Montana and go on a cattle drive holiday, which is where you travel out to a ranch, round up the cattle, sort and brand them, then move them from their winter habitat to summer pasture. I like the idea of doing something different and the challenge of rounding up cows and calves that have their own idea of where they want to go. It was a skiing holiday in Val d'Isère in 1998. I had gone there with a friend who had bought the holiday at an auction. We drove to Val d'Isère and when we arrived it was freezing cold and snowing heavily. The next day we went skiing and my friend fell on the first run and badly twisted his leg. His injury was so bad that we had to cut short our holiday. He was flown home with his leg in a cast while I drove back to the UK. It was in 1983 when my late wife and I went on a Nile river cruise. We were really looking forward to the experience but the boat we went on was dreadful, the food was awful and to make matters worse I caught a sickness bug. Not taking any Imodium with me when I went to Egypt. Always make sure you pack some as you never know what bugs you are likely to pick up, especially on long-haul trips. Also make sure you pack appropriate clothes for whatever weather you're likely to encounter. I was in Washington recently and the weather was beautiful, until a storm arrived. Unfortunately, I hadn't packed any warm clothes for the unexpected cold weather that followed. Which is the worst hotel you've stayed in? For several years I have been going to Maubeuge, in France, for the annual horse show. The city is situated on the Sambre river, close to the Belgian border, and the organisers of the show use the same hotel every year for accommodating riders, as well as the event team. The hotel is the worst place I've stayed in for a number of reasons. The rooms are too small, the beds are extremely hard and the towels are tiny. I have stayed at the hotel for three years running and decided not to go to the show this year, as I couldn't stand the thought of staying at this awful hotel. You find as you get older that you want more creature comforts. What do you avoid on holiday? Noisy and crowded tourist areas are among my pet hates when I go away. Instead I like to find nice quiet areas to chill out, as my work is often stressful and involves me working in a noisy environment. Returning to the mountain of post on my doormat, which is unavoidable. I usually manage to deal with emails on a daily basis when I'm away because there's nothing worse than having to face hundreds of emails on your return. Nick Skelton is taking part in the Olympia, London International Horse Show, which takes place from December 17 to 23. For more information see: olympiahorseshow.com.