Beth if your husband is not able to deal with hand-held showers if he cannot adjust to that, perhaps he should not leave the USA. In Greece the only places that always always have the wall-mounted shower are the big chain hotels -- hilton, marriott, etc (and BTW in most other places, there's a hook on the wall where you can suspend the hand-shower head). Does it also freak him out to have to put bathroom tissue in a bin? Ewww. This is why travel is broadening, it introduces you to new things. This reminds me of a person I counselled last year --he was annoyed that in Greece their family of 4 could not readily book everywhere his accommodation preference -- a large room with 2 queen-size beds, next to a pool. He said, it's so easy to find that in America. I responded yes, he could find those 2 queen-beds plus pool readily -- but then he would not be in Greece, he'd be in a Red Roof Inn or Quality Court, listening to the semi's roar by on Interstate 80. Anybody who needs to have things exactly to their specifications is only safe when staying home.
As to how to sort out day-trips & short overnithgts in Crete, perhaps Stanbr's post will help. The problem is, the best beaches are not 5 minutes from Chania... and the beaches i the south are loooong day-trips. Perhaps if you stretch your budget you could achieve a "have your cake & eat it too" Solution. It would be to stay at a stunning beach-side place -- Hotel Ammos -- just to the West of Chania. It's right on the sand, AND has a pool, AND a noted Cretan chef.... PLUS, on the inland side of its building the local bus stops right in front & takes u to central Chania in 15-20 minutes. Rave reviews for years -- problem is only 30 rooms & hard to book. Here's their website - http://www.ammoshotel.com/ -- and a less-fawncy website https://www.hotelsofgreece.com/crete/ammos/ that describes it more succinctly.
My own solutions have been to stay in Chania maybe 3 days, then move on. Here are 3 routes I've taken, Stanbr has many more --
(1) spent entire day #1 exploring old town. On day #2, we drove to near Kissamos, and drove SOUTH thru the Topolian Gorge down to the "chestnut village" (Elon) then back to Chania. In gorge u can walk up a cliffside to stone-age cave "repurposed" as a shrine to St. Sophia (but it's very pagan). Next day we checked out and drove on the inland Old Road (many villages & goats) to near Rethymnon, then south thru Spili...... visited Phaistos, Stayed At Matala (NOT at tacky shore hotels, instead at cute back-roads Villa Dimitri). Later we drove N.E. thru wine country to Hraklion Area.
(2) started same way, but at Elon turned WEST to Coast (scarey road, great views), N. to Falassarna, stayed 2 nights at marvy little Petalida hotel on top of Bluff above beach (owners are fishermen, nightly serve the day's catch). Then drove Eatward on the Big North Shore Road ... stopped at Rethymnon JUST for the Fortezza... later on went inland to Great Unforgettable (sad) Cave Melidoni. Stopped for 2 nights at Great secret beach on edge of Ag. Pelagia (this is ruined now alas).
(3) Went south on road BEFORE rethymnon, leading to IMBROS GORGE. Left car, walked down gorge, took taxi (truck) back to car, drove car down gorge-edge road (28 switchbacks!), found hotel at Frangokastello (yes it's lovely beach but Veeeery shallow... u walk about 200 yards to get to swim depths) . Took ferry from Chora Sfakion to Loutro, then took the cliffside walk BACK ... Do NOT do this if you have acrophobia, but it was a thrill. Then we drove a mountain road to Spili (my companion was ACE driver; this was scarey). Stayed at Matala, drove N.E. stopped at Gortys, ended up at Ferry in Heraklion.
