Like these sibling comments, after owning one, I really don't mind. I waited until the 4th generation Fossil Explorist started to go on sale and got it for well under $200. I plug it in when I plug my phone in. About the only issue is that I ended up buying a $4 surge protector because I'm low on outlets near my bed.
Not all splitters are surge protectors, but most surge protectors are splitters (though single outlet surge protectors do exist). It is likely that when OP said "surge protector", they meant something like this: https://imgur.com/qHR9UFu
Yes. We often say "power strip" to better indicate that you plug in one end to get a strip of outlets to use. Ideally it's also a surge protector, so if something goes badly wrong, the things plugged in are protected.
