My husband and I spent a month at Marianthi's villa and it was probably the single best month of our lives. We cannot recommend this stay highly enough.
The host: Marianthi is fantastic. We met her on arrival and were in touch with her throughout our stay (for advice on what to see, where to eat, etc). She is very hospitable, always responsive, and extremely nice. She designed the villa herself and it's obvious that she cares about her guests and their needs.
The villa: a lovely, immaculately clean 2-bedroom villa with walkout bedroom and living room overlooking the sea (in full view just across the road). The first thing we saw every morning was the rising sun and the Mediterranean. Walk out the bedroom or living room to a large patio with dining table. An average lunch for us consisted of grilling or baking a fresh local fish, popping open a bottle of Cretan white wine (very decent) and eating on the patio, in the warm sun and sea breeze, in full view of the sea. The villa is modern, looks and feels new, and has excellent wifi and TV. The furniture is high quality, including a large, soft sofa and an excellent bed/mattress. There are lovely design elements such a stone fireplace and artwork throughout. The kitchen is well equipped and the host provided us with fresh herbs from the garden and olive oil. The property is beautifully landscaped, including lemon and olive trees, and an herb garden. It was quiet and private. If we didn't have to get back to real life, we'd have stayed here indefinitely.
Nearby: Amoudara beach is a 5-minute walk away. This is a sandy beach with warm, transluscent green water. We began every morning with a swim and got to know a bunch of friendly local swimmers. There is a cafe on the beach, so you can get a drink or bite to eat. Great little beach! The coastline extending either direction from the villa is beautiful and there is a walking path, so a walk/jog is easy.
Aghios Nikolaos: This is the main town nearby, about a 8-10 minute drive from the villa. Aghios is a very nice small/mid-size town with tons of good restaurants, shops, cafes, bakeries. It also has a beautiful inner harbor/lake which is a focal point of nightlife. Our experience eating out was consistently great. We preferred eating Greek food, and there was no end of fresh fish, souvlaki, meze, good wine. Aghios also has a very good grocery (AB) and fish mongers. Aghios is a lively town in the evening, but not as heavily touristed as Chania. We really enjoyed Aghios and think it's a great base.
A little further away: Marianthi's villa is an excellent base from which to explore eastern Crete. Vai Beach and Xerocampos are a scenic 2-hour drive away and highly recommended. Vai has a sandy beach surrounded by palm trees. The water is warm and there is a good restaurant overlooking the beach. Xerocampos was one of the highlights of our trip. The coast consists of tiny, sandy coves with super-clear, warm water. We spent our day walking from cove to cove and swimming. Absolutely stunning.