Hi, I'm Tanya.
A Miami Beach local with a Human Experience Designer's eye and a travel planner's approach.
I came to travel planning through something I have been doing my entire career: studying how people experience things, noticing where friction appears, and designing a better flow around it.
For years, I've worked as a human experience designer, turning complex systems into experiences that feel clear, intuitive, and thoughtfully structured. That way of thinking does not switch off when I leave the screen. I apply it to cities, hotels, neighborhoods, and travel days too.
When I look at a Miami stay, I do not just think, "What are the popular places?" I think about whether a hotel location actually supports the kind of trip someone wants, whether a rooftop works for a family traveling with a minor, whether a schedule still feels pleasant in Miami heat, whether the route makes sense before a cruise departure, and whether a place is genuinely worth the time or simply photographs well online.
That instinct became especially visible when I started creating real-world Miami hotel walkthroughs for Before You're There. I wanted travelers to see what polished booking photos often leave out: the actual entrance, the street around the property, the pool atmosphere, the noise level, and the overall mood. But over time, I realized the bigger value I could offer was not just showing people places. It was helping them make better decisions before they arrived.
That is how Before You're There grew into a personal Miami travel planning service.
"I plan with a local's knowledge and a Human Experience Designer's precision."
Today, I help visitors shape thoughtful, highly personalized Miami experiences — whether they have one precious day before a cruise, a family trip that needs to work for both adults and children, or a special stay they want to feel beautiful without becoming logistically exhausting.
Miami is not just a checklist of restaurants, beaches, and rooftops. It is timing, light, energy, pace, distance, weather, and knowing which details will quietly make or break the day.
My job is to help you arrive with confidence, avoid the generic, and experience Miami in a way that feels intelligently made for you.
Because a great trip should start before you're there.
Plan My Miami StayI don't start with attractions. I start with you.
Your trip, your timing, your people, your budget, your energy, and the kind of Miami you actually want to experience. From there, I build a plan that feels thoughtful, realistic, and beautifully paced — not like a crowded checklist copied from the internet.
I learn the shape of your trip
First, I look at the practical foundation: when you arrive and leave, whether you are flying in, coming before a cruise, or staying in Miami longer, who is traveling with you, whether children or teens are part of the group, your hotel situation, your budget comfort, and the mood you want from the trip. This tells me what kind of plan is actually possible — and what will feel right.
I understand your travel personality
Two people can have the same 24 hours in Miami and need completely different days. One may want rooftops, a glamorous dinner, and a beautiful hotel lobby. Another may want an ocean walk, Cuban coffee, and something charming that is not trying too hard. A family may want the trip to feel special for adults without forgetting that children are part of the experience. I plan around your taste, not a generic tourist profile.
I choose the right area and hotel logic
In Miami, where you stay quietly shapes the entire trip. I think through which neighborhood makes the most sense, whether Miami Beach, Downtown, Brickell, or another area will serve you better, how close you should be to the port, airport, beach, restaurants, or family activities, and whether a hotel that looks great online actually supports the experience you want.
I build the day around timing, not wishful thinking
This is where a personal plan becomes very different from a list of recommendations. I account for check-in and luggage realities, Miami heat, sunset timing, traffic, cruise boarding windows, restaurant and rooftop access rules, whether a child, teen, or older family member changes the rhythm of the day, and how much people can realistically enjoy after a flight. A beautiful idea at the wrong hour is often a bad plan.
I create a day that flows naturally
I arrange your plan like an experience, not a spreadsheet. That means a strong first impression after arrival, natural transitions between places, the right balance of movement and pause, no unnecessary backtracking across the city, and enough structure to feel confident without making the day feel over-managed.
I offer smart branches when they help
Sometimes there is no single perfect answer — there are two good directions depending on how you feel in the moment. A polished rooftop lunch versus a softer poolside arrival. A lively Brickell evening versus a calmer scenic waterfront route. A premium splurge versus a smarter low-spend alternative. When useful, I give you a Plan A / Plan B structure, so the itinerary stays flexible without becoming vague.
I filter out what is not worth your time
Miami has plenty of places that are popular, photogenic, or heavily recommended — and still may not be right for your trip. I help you avoid attractions that eat too much time for too little payoff, overhyped spots that do not match your vibe, routes that look simple on a map but feel annoying in real life, and beautiful-looking options that quietly create problems later.
I turn it into a clear, usable plan
Your final itinerary should feel easy to follow and genuinely useful. Depending on the service, that may include hotel or area recommendations, a time-based itinerary, meal and stop suggestions, transportation logic, notes about access and pacing, optional alternatives, and a plan designed specifically for your group and circumstances. The goal is simple: you should arrive in Miami already knowing that your time has been thought through.
"I plan Miami the way I design experiences: around real people, real constraints, and the feeling the day is supposed to create."