During our 7 day trip to Crete we stayed 3 days in a hotel, then moved for another 4 days to the west of the island at Niko's house.
While the stay at the hotel was good - staying at This appartment was outstanding! The place is spacious, comfortable, well equiped and clean - airbnb description/pictures do a good job describing the details. No smoking / no pets policy was important for us.
Appartment location was great since it's a short drive to some of the most beautiful beaches on the island: Balos, Elafonisi, Fallasarna, etc. so you can reach those in the morning (~10AM) and enjoy the beauty in privacy before the crowds arrive. There were plenty of good restaurants in the area reasonably priced - we wish had more time to explore more of the Greek/Cretan food.
What is of special to mention - is host's hospitality and attention to make our stay so great. It was a very pleasant surprise to find a delicous traditional greek dinner waiting for us on our arrival. We felt like came to a friends house and would love to return again :)
Thank you Nikos and Xara!