Built by the Aguilar Ramos family, members of the local indigenous community with over 50 years of history in the hospitality business, Casa Lickana was born from a passion for the culture and nature of San Pedro de Atacama. They envisioned a place where travelers could experience authentic desert life, setting it apart from conventional tourist hotels.

The construction was carried out in phases, with the initial structures made of adobe, the traditional material of ancient buildings. This original element can still be seen in the hotel's exterior wall, which is protected by the National Monuments Council.

The hotel is also crossed by a water channel, part of the original irrigation system of the ayllus in San Pedro de Atacama. This system has been linked to Atacameño cultural development since pre-Hispanic times. The earliest channels may have been drainage systems, a technique introduced between 1200 and 400 BC during the Formative Period. Today, the system is preserved to ensure the proper and communal use of water for local agriculture.