My best stays have all been shared with the host. It's a way to experience another culture. I've also rented my own flat on Airbnb.

"Couch surfing" is a weird way to put it, and so too is "random stranger". They're not random, you chose them, and you're generally in a bedroom.

Maybe this is a cultural thing? Middle class families having lodgers is super normal in the UK, I figured it was the same everywhere.

If I wanted a hotel, I'd book a hotel.