The documentation shows examples how to configure the client using the ConfigurationBuilder, RemoteCacheManager. Both with examples how the configuration looks like if the hotrod-client.properties is used.

This leads to confusion as the properties file is only used if the RemoteCacheManager is build without, or boolean, parameters.
If the ConfigurationBuilder is used there are hardcoded defaults and the properties are not loaded.
The same if RemoteCacheManager is used with URI parameter.

The documentation should make this clear, but there is also an enhancement request JDG-6238 to always load the hotrod-client.properties as 'default'.