We had a fantastic 5 day stay at Stephanie's place near Chania! The house was perfect for us - gorgeous views, nice pool (it's not a deep pool (4-5 ft deep - so is perfect for hanging out with the kids), and our favorite part was how dark the bedrooms were. Our kids were able to sleep off the jet lag with no problem. The outside deck was perfect for all meals and just hanging out and taking in the gorgeous views and they had a really great sun shade that you could pull down to block the sun if you wanted to. Plus it was nice having a washing machine to catch up on laundry and it was easy enough to hang the clothes out to dry. The place is an easy exit from the highway but you don't hear the traffic.
We spent our time going to Old Town Chania and a bunch of the local beaches. People recommend Agia Marina area but we thought it was not great. Super touristy and the restaurants on the beach were not good at all.
Our favorite restaurant was Gramboussa in the town of Kaliviani. It's on the way to Balos Beach and a great place to stop on the way home.
Stephanie is a great host and probably the most responsive one I've ever dealt with! She super efficient and very helpful. We highly recommend this place.